Feature Writing

Dear Professor Johnson,

I would like to interview Celia Kim for a profile article. She is a teacher at Museum Magnet School (P.S. 191). Every day she is exposed to a class of curious, growing and she teaches the perfect subject to foster their understanding of the upcoming election: social studies. The class often engages in conversations of the real world current events.

This will be the first presidential election she has in her teaching career. I will ask her how she feels about the atypical nominees: a businessman with no political background and a woman. In addition, one main focus of the article is how does she feel about the candidates and how does she handle her biases when discussing the candidates and their positions on issues. Does she try to steer the children into believing her views? Does she not offer any personal views and let the children do the discussion themselves? What are her reactions to the young minds’ discussion in the face of this atypical election?

Every election there are groups of people and areas that get a great deal of attention. Swing states like Pennsylvania are always popular topics in the news and with recent events in mind so have how several minority groups will vote. All of this is important, but what about the voters you don’t hear about? Voters who hesitate to vote maybe because they don’t indentify with one party or another, or because where they are living makes voting more difficult.

The individual I wish to profile is Darcey Lehamn, 20, who is currently living in Milan, Italy. I wish to profile her as she goes through the voting process as an absentee voter, from registaring to vote, to figuring out who to vote for. Lehman makes for an interesting subject for this profile for several reasons. She didn’t vote in the primary because she felt no candidate accurately supported her beliefs at the time. She is someone who more closely aligns with liberals on social and human rights based policies, yet is more conservative on fiscal policy. This can (and has) alienated her from the political process.

My objective is to follow her journey as she navigates both how to vote and who she wants to vote for in the last weeks of the election season.

Soyini Driscoll is a born and raised NYC resident who graduated form Colombia University now working as an editor at Conde Nast. She is a young Christian, Africa American woman who has strong political views about the current election. With the recent shootings going on around the country, Soyini has deep conerns about her own safety and the safety of her family. She has 3 younger siblings who she feels deeply protective over. The rhetoric of Donald Trump brings concern to her about the future of racism in America.

I will discuss with her about the state our country is in right now in regards to racism (black lives matter movement, police brutality, etc.) and her views on how each candidate is dealing with these issues and the ideas they are proposing to correct it.

Her Christian faith adds another perspective to her decision making process and seeing who’s views are more aligned with hers in that way.

Soyini has a dynamic perspective of the future of this country that many other NYC residents can relate to.

“I call myself a philanthropist. I spent a lot of efforts in the past ten years, with different organizations, to increase the availability of educational content that will increase tolerance and benevolence in this world. I can’t let Donald Trump ruins it,” Cecilia Chan said.

Cecilia Chan is a 52 years old American citizen live in New York City. She committed to philanthropic efforts that support education and sustainable positive changes. She believes in Tikkun Olam – healing the world. Chan is a Trustee of Facing History and Ourselves, a highly respected global organization aims to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. A documentary film focused on the Nanjing Massacre and the Holocaust is being produced by Chan and USC Shoah Foundation with the aim to education people about the tragedy of genocides and the importance of tolerance.

“Everything he said went against what I stand for. Politics is important but not my area of specialty. Therefore, I do my best to support Hillary Clinton.”

This year, we have our first female presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, won the support of a major political party. This year, we also have our first not-politically-experienced candidate, Donald Trump, won the support of another major party in the U.S. 2016 election is unprecedented, and affects many American citizens. Chan is one of them. She donated $20,000 to Clinton’s presidential campaign as support. This amount might not seem a lot to the campaign but this is the first time that she decided to donate to a presidential campaign.

Carl Schwartz is a 24 year old man from Richmond, VA finishing up his first year living in Brooklyn. Schwartz has been an political junkie since birth. Though his household was divided, he grew up with a liberal left wing father who taught him that “the collective” is more important than the individual.

Schwartz has worked in the non profit field since he graduated from high school in 2010. He is currently working under an AmeriCorp. contract with City Year of New York at the Bronx Early College Academy. To say his is a low income resident is putting it politely, he receives $1000 monthly stipend for his work. Leaving him little left over for rent and recently had to apply for Food Stamps to make ends meet.

Schwartz remembers Pres. Bill Clinton from his elementary school eyes and ears; learning he was an okay president, better than most and then George W. Bush entered the picture, “We bitched and moaned about him for eight years. Every day.” Obama was a welcome predecessor for the Schwartz family but now, another eight years have passed and Carl is worried. He’s had to rethink what and who is best for America. First backing Clinton, then Sanders, now back to Clinton; who he still isn’t sure about.

The story of Schwartz would be a profile on his views from childhood to now on who he thinks will best serve “the collective” and what that means to a struggling millennial transplant who believes in community overall.

 

 

Immigration is currently one of the most divisive issues in the U.S. and has played a significant role in the 2016 presidential election.

Donald Trump has stated he plans to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, block funding to sanctuary cities, terminate Obama’s executive amnesties, and suspend immigration from Syria and Libya until there is adequate screening.

Hillary Clinton’s position is to introduce comprehensive immigration reform, defend Obama’s executive amnesties, and increase Syrian refugees in the U.S.

Therefore, both candidates would affect this issue in contrast ways.

I plan to interview Steven Choi, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, on this issue in relation to the 2016 presidential election.

Choi’s organization promotes immigrant political civic and political rights as well as supporting immigration reform.

Choi has voiced his support of Syrian refugees, defended sanctuary cities, and providing immigrants with support.

Therefore, he would suit this article because of his involvement in the issue and how his organization would be affected by the election of either candidate, especially because there are nearly 200 immigration advocacy groups under it. In addition, New York is among the top five states with the highest number of undocumented immigrants. 

On a chilly Monday night in September, Ray Liang sits on the couch sipping his Corona and throws a mouthful of angry words as Donald Trump debates against Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Debate. Liang, a 27 year old graduate student, is infuriated by the words uttered by Trump, the Republican party nomination, on Liang’s 48 inch Vizio television. Clinton, the Democratic party nomination is relatable to Liang but thoughts of hidden secrets keep him from showing his full support.

 

“At one side, Trump will give us the next Hunger Games, said Liang.””Clinton isn’t trustworthy so I might as well start planning my move to Canada.”

 

Reactions around the United States of America pertaining Trump and Clinton’s road to Presidency have similarities to Liang. The 2016 Republican and Democratic campaigns have both received negativity. Clinton has been plagued with growing health concerns as well as her controversial e-mail scandal. Trump’s Achilles heel revolves around his responses and proposed policies. Trump’s unwillingness to display his tax forms provides controversy as every candidate in past years have displayed their tax forms.

 

Electoral candidates have received negative and positive impacts in minds of US citizens. My focus is going to be revolving around students like Ray that justify the need for a qualified candidate with no scandals or controversy.

The name of the individual that you will find me interestiD in potentially profiling for our next story is Carla Robbins.

So who is Carla Robbins, how does she relate to our election, and why is she a person worthy of interest for our assignment?

Well According to her staff page over at the Baruch website

” Carla Robbins is a nationally known journalist and foreign policy commentator. She served for six years as Deputy Editorial Page Editor and Assistant Editorial Page Editor at The New York Times. Before that, she spent 13 years in Washington covering diplomacy and national security for The Wall Street Journal.

She was awarded Georgetown University’s 2003 Edward Weintal Prize for diplomatic coverage. At the Journal she also shared in two Pulitzer prizes: the 2000 Prize for National Reporting on the Post-Cold War defense budget and the 1999 Prize for International Reporting on the Russian financial crisis. She is also a co-winner of the 2004 Elizabeth Neuffer Prize from the U.N. Correspondents Association, the 2004 Peter R. Weitz Prize from the German Marshall Fund and the 1984 Morton Frank Award from the Overseas Press Club.”

So some topics that could be brought out to discussion by me when profiling Carla Robbins can include questions such as if electiD

1. Being the first female commander in cheif, in ur views Carla, would the election of Clinton imply unique changes to the US’ National Defense? Do you feel that Clinton being a female influences any of these changes.
2. With Donald Trump’s strong Anti-immigration expectations, if elected, what affect on our nation’s security would you anticipate his presidency as creating?
3. What does each candidate represent for our nation’s security in ur views, and are you willing to share who you think is a better choice is for America,
4.  in terms of international relations – what affects do you feel each candidate will bring, what are the implications of such affects, and should Americans desire some of these affects over others?
5. What affects had this upcoming election had on her professional career?
6. Do you feel that your professional career could be worse off if a particular candidate was electiD? Why not?
7. AND Any other relevant points worth Discussion

Monday night’s debate was the most watched in U.S. history. The nominees of the two major political parties took to the stage to duke it out in an iconic battle of words. But Hillary and Donald are not the only ones running for president. What about the third-party Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson? Do people even know who Gary Johnson is? Does he really even matter in the scope of the election? For this article, I’d like to find that out.

Joseph Re is a recent high school graduate who is known in a small town of Trump supporters as an avid Johnson advocate. He believes Johnson is the most honest of all the candidates, and is the best man for the job of president of the United States. I’d like to profile Joseph and probe him in order to find out what attracts people to third-party candidates, and what makes their support significant. This article will really question the value of a vote, and the value in voting for someone in whom you really believe.

November 8, 2016 will be historic for a variety reasons. Until then, the time in between can leave one in a state of limbo. Uncertainty plagues the nation and we’re all caught in its vacuum. One way that it might suck involves Donald Trump’s proposal for mass deportation.

While this proposal might not threaten you, it will affect numerous New Yorkers all around you. You may not notice the difference in the daily bustle on the street, but maybe your fellow classmate you were getting to know suddenly isn’t there anymore.

This pitch will involve Angelina Lorenzo. Lorenzo is an undocumented student living in the Bronx; she is majoring in Public Affairs at Baruch College. I think Lorenzo is worthy of being profiled because she can provide a narrative about what her education means to her – she has briefly touched upon the subject here – and how such proposed policies will affect her and others around the nation — I feel the general narrative around the subject of deportation revolves around adults; I think this pitch can highlight how it equally affects students nationwide.