Feature Writing

Rose Bar Sessions at the Gramercy Park Hotel

As I wiped down glasses and folded napkins, a voice of an angel started to sing behind be. Then a beautiful ballad began in a quiet room, everyone minding their own business. This voice stopped me and lured me to turn around and see who this was. A young man standing on a small stage with one band mate next to him was rehearsing for his show later that evening. This rehearsal was by far best sounding warm up that I have ever heard. I immediately felt incredibly lucky to be witnessing this moment, without the lights and noise of the crowd. Just this silence and this voice in this beautiful room.

New York City has been the center of all things “trendy” for as long as we can remember. When it comes to night life, clubs, bars, and lounges in this city, they come and go in a blink of an eye.  Through the ups and downs of grand openings and closing of countless hot spots. The Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel has managed to sustain its appeal and character through the past ten years of business.  Rose Bar Sessions have been a key factor to pulling in new faces to fill the room, and new voices to perform a show. A Rose Bar Session is an event that brings in a well-known band to perform an intimate show for the guests of the event. Rose Bar has hosted sessions for bands from Guns and Roses, to The Borns, to Bastille. These sessions are curated to fit the ascetic of the room and the guests.

As I mentioned earlier, this angelic voice that I was hearing while preparing for the night was from the lead singer of the British indie pop band Bastille. To my joyful surprise, much more talented than I had anticipated. As a server at the Rose Bar these events become more tiring and tedious than joyful and exciting the more you work them. When you hear a voice as talented as that it brings you back to the reason why this place is so special, and has sustained for so long.

 

(In the upcoming Rose Bar Session, I will interview the creative director, general manager, and guests, for the event. Possibly someone in the band also can be interviewed.)

Gender Neutral Bathrooms

TKTK a good lede

In the past several months, Baruch’s LGBT community has been advocating for the creation of a gender neutral bathroom on campus. After months of spreading information and raising awareness about the issue, the Baruch administration made no progress toward appeasing the group.

TKTK a really good quote

According to Gabe Roman, the president of G.L.A.S.S., the idea of a gender neutral bathroom was only a thought when she entered Baruch as a freshman three years ago. The LGBT community truly began its initiative in the Spring semester, when it tabled on the second floor and made an effort to educate the passers-by on the issue.

By the end of the semester, the club gathered roughly 200 signatures on a petition supporting the creation of a gender neutral bathroom, along with some donations to strengthen the cause. G.L.A.S.S. also created a YouTube video, titled Case for Gender Neutral Bathrooms at Baruch College, which aimed to explain some of the most common questions about the creation of a gender neutral bathroom. By Sept. 19, the video collected 440 views.

“The students behind the campaign know that not everyone in the world is tolerant,” Roman said. “We want to figure out if there is a way for us to protect the genderless bathroom, whether through training security to be sensitive to the issue, or having an educational video about what the bathroom is.”

I was able to conduct a longer interview with Gabe Roman. I also know who to reach out to from the administration and I’m in touch with the USG president who should help me find out why the idea of a gender neutral bathroom was previously shut down.

Class – September 19, 2016

Agenda: Workshop story drafts

Pair off and take turns reading and editing each other’s stories. Then swap with another group and look at someone else’s story. These are some of the things you should be looking for and questions you should be asking each other.

Are there any spelling or grammatical errors? Pay close attention to how the dialogue is written and whether the mechanics are correct.

Are there any AP style errors? (For this first story, I’m just looking for the basics to be correct—don’t sweat the really obscure stuff.) Consult this site for some of the most commonly used rules.

Are all the proper names (people, streets, neighborhoods, companies, etc.) accurate and spelled correctly?

Is there a clear, identifiable lede and nut graph?

Does the story make sense? Is there anything that needs to be clarified, or are there any obvious inaccuracies or holes in the narrative?

Is the story generally readable? Does it flow in a natural, logical way?

Is it, in fact, written like a feature story and not a straightforward, hard news story? In other words, are there scenes? Color? Strong characters?

A few common things to look out for:

Don’t overuse synonyms for the word “said” in an effort to be more descriptive. They can be clunky (“They’re ruining this neighborhood,” she screeched) and at worst, redundant (“I’m sorry,” he apologized.) In feature writing, there’s more wiggle room on this than in hard news writing, but be mindful not to go overboard. “Said” is a nearly invisible word that gets the job done and it’s fine to use it a lot.

Same goes for exclamation points! Most of the time they’re unnecessary and distracting!

Full names on first reference and last names on second reference.

Overly long paragraphs are a visual turnoff for the reader. Keep the story moving by breaking them down.

By the end of class, you may re-file the story having incorporated any small, mechanical edits if you so choose. If you’ve been given any feedback/suggestions for large, structural changes, you can make a note of it but please hold off on changing it until I send you my edits.

A Tale of Two CUNYs

Denny Jacob

JRN 3060

A Tale of Two CUNYs

When you look at the American flag, you see history. The colonies we once were, the states we now represent. A multitude of lines symbolically representing much of what America has to offer: hope, resilience, fortitude. Over the past few weeks, one line in particular has been pulled out: the fine line. The fine line that represents many subjects where we stand divided; conflicting ideologies that put us at odds with one another. Throughout history, many have pulled on this line. But whenever possible, we’ll avoid the discord and sew that fine line away for another time, tucking it behind the flag. But enough is enough – at least Colin Kaepernick thought so. He would use his platform as an athlete to spur a movement that has generated a lot of traction with no ending in sight.

On August 27th, 2016, Colin Kaepernick exercised the right to not stand for the national anthem because he would not “stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” This would soon spark cries of outrage on one side, while garnering respect and accolades on the other. The mixed reviews come from numerous athletes and service members – both past and present. As more spotlight on the matter has risen, we see athletes across all levels – from professional to collegiate to pee-wee football – expressing their view on the matter. But the coverage has shifted, and the dialogue no longer seems to represent both sides.

Cristina Andrade can and does represent both sides, however. The 23-year-old sophomore is going on four years as an active member of the Reserves Officers’ Training Corps; this will be second year with Baruch’s swim team, and first with Baruch’s cross country.

Andrade is never far from the flag. She is currently in season for cross country and attends ROTC training four times a week. On campus she can be found at pool where she is a lifeguard. As I met during her work hours, I couldn’t help but immediately notice the flag – erected high above all other banners.

Andrade emigrated here from Ecuador at age 11 and credits many of her values to her time here. She was heavily influenced by her mother and her cousin Freddy- a member of Ecuador’s army; both would play a role in her decision to enlist.

Upon discussion, it was clear how near and dear the flag is to Andrade. Like much of the public against the athletes who have taken a pledge against the anthem, she views it as disrespectful: disrespect to the flag, disrespect to everyone who has done a form of service. “At the end of the day, we’re fighting for you to have what you have …. Do you really wanna complain about it?” Andrade remarked.

As an emigrant, Andrade can barely contain her joy when reflecting all the opportunities she’s received. She stresses that millennials need to understand the meaning of them being here.

[The rest TK – waiting on responses from a few students from Hunter (ergo the presumptuous title)]

For Better or Worse: Immaculate Conception School transitions to Academy

 

Veronica Gomez, 20, walks through the halls of Immaculate Conception Academy on a chilly day in September. Wind blows in her hair as Gomez finds herself gazing at the Immaculate Conception sign. All of this was too familiar for Gomez but different in every possible way. At 7:35 AM, Gomez takes a deep breath and turns her keys to open the door. Walking through the hallway, the lights flicker as Gomez takes a step closer to the classroom where she was assigned as a teacher’s aide. Step by step, Gomez notices the unfamiliar teacher’s names in each classroom. Teachers such as Mr. Torre and Mrs. Christou, Gomez came to admire when she first came here, as a student were nothing but fond memories.

“The change was coming, we all saw it”, said Veronica Gomez, “I just didn’t realize that this was going to be how things were going to be from now on.”
Immaculate Conception Academy previously named Immaculate Conception School is a Catholic Elementary-Middle school that was conjoined with the Immaculate Conception Church. In recent years, renovations have been made to the school. In the 2016 school year, Ms. Eileen Harnischfeger, Principal of Immaculate Conception, diversified Immaculate Conception School by separating the Church from the school and redefining the school as an academy. Harnischfeger like most principals of catholic schools faced the problem of funds being insufficient and such transference of the school to an academy and adoption of a board of directors was imminent.
Statistical research done by the National Center for Educational Statistics discovered that “Private school enrollment in prekindergarten (preK) through grade 12 increased from 5.9 million in 1995–96 to 6.3 million in 2001–02, and then declined to 5.4 million in 2013–14. More recently, total private school enrollment decreased by 12 percent between 2003–04 and 2013–14; enrollment is projected to decrease by 6 percent to 5.1 million students in 2025–26.” The decline in Catholic school enrollment majorly impacts the success of the school. The impact of increase or decrease in enrollment gives grounds to whether or not the school will re-open its doors the next year. Some schools merge with one another to fight off the declining doom hoping the combined attendance can maintain the education. Many times, the outcome is for the worst. Due to switching schools and transitions, enrollment drops.
The transition into a academy comes not as a shock but a time of panic and job uncertainty. Conversations can be heard through the halls about Mr. Louis Torre, a retired faculty member that was a beloved teacher for 35 years. Torre’s departure from the school was bittersweet as he recollected the role he played that got accreditation into The Middle States as well as being chair of committees that would overlook grammatical and wording of statements including the school’s mission statement. “I really enjoyed being with the students especially when we spoke about life issues. I never realized that I made a positive impact on my students until after I retired when many former students have complimented me on my teaching and my willingness to just listen to them, said Torre.” “When I hear my relatives and friends tell me I was such a good influence on my students, I still find that a bit difficult to believe, but I am slowly beginning to accept the fact that maybe I did a pretty good job, and that has impacted my life in such a beneficial way.” Torre retired as Immaculate Conception shifted the educational usage to a more technological usage.
When asked about the effect of transitioning to an academy would have on everyone in Immaculate Conception Academy, Torre rubbed his eyebrows and commented: “Honestly, we knew it was bound to happen even when I was still a teacher there, but we rarely spoke about what the ramifications would be to the school, the students or the teachers and stuff, said Torre.” “So I don’t think I would like the school becoming an academy.”
Gomez hears comments and justifications for reasons not to switch to an academy. The laments and vents of many teachers lost in the communication to the staff. Unlike most teachers of the uncertainty, Mrs Joanne Christou decided to leave and teach elsewhere before the new academy system were to be in place. “As soon as my kids were old enough to go to school, I started teaching at Immac again, said Christou.” “It is my family. I even was a student at Immac when I was a kid! Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I owe everything I have kearned and have become to the nurturing, support, friendships, and open-ness that I have gotten from immac.” The family resemblance in Christou’s sorrowful eyes depicted the scene of many teachers in Immaculate Conception Academy. Unaware of the future and terrified of the separation were thoughts in the minds of many in the academy.
“The change in number of students was significant in the switch to being an academy. When I started teaching there were two classes on every level,” said Christou gazing up at the three-story school. “Now there is only one, except for the Pre-K, a government program that doesn’t incorporate Catholic teachings nor tuition. Everyone, including the principal, will have to re-apply and interview for his or her jobs. There will be a school board in place making decisions for the school. Many schools lost great teachers and became a totally new school or in this case academy.”
Gomez sits in the middle of the classroom and stares at the projector where a chalkboard has been. “Everything is going to be different now, said Gomez.” “It’s either fight or flight now for all of us.”

 

 

 

L Train Shutdown

At any given hour of the day, a Manhattan or Brooklyn-bound L train generally looks the same—crowded. The benches are almost always full, the cars are loud with conversation and the platforms are bustling with musicians playing tunes ranging from banjo-plucking folk to synchronized percussion.

The subway line, which runs from 14th Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan all the way to Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie, sees over 400,000 riders daily.

However, due to extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy back in 2012, the MTA has recently announced that the L train will shut down between Manhattan and Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg in January 2019 for 18 months so that it can be properly repaired.

The MTA has yet to provide details about alternative transportation services to substitute for this closure.

The announcement has been met with mixed reactions among Brooklyn commuters who rely on the L train daily in neighborhoods which are largely disconnected from other subway lines.

Although the MTA’s plan will be highly inconvenient for some, most locals do not plan to relocate to other parts of New York. In fact, with neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Bushwick growing in popularity, many residents are actually hoping that the L train’s closure will help them afford to live in these trendy areas.

“I’m really hoping that the L shutting down will help decrease my rent. I can’t imagine people wanting to move to a place where there’s no subway. But as for me, I love this area and I don’t want to live anywhere else,” commented Megan Lansky, 32, of East Williamsburg, adding, “Taking a shuttle bus will definitely suck, but commuting sucks in general, so I guess it’s not that bad.”

Stephanie Pearson, a 24-year-old living in Bushwick, agreed with Lansky, saying, “I hope rent goes down here. It makes sense that a remote area would become cheaper. Perhaps, with people moving out because of the shutdown, gentrification could reverse itself.”

In fact, a rent decrease in the effected neighborhoods could actually be possible, according to dnainfo. The news source claims that “rents could plummet…between $200 to $450 for one-bedroom apartments.”

MORE INTERVIEW QUOTES AND RENT INFO TKTKTKTK

Spoon University at Baruch: A Food Site That Caters to College Students

Spoon University at Baruch: A Food Site That Caters to College Students

By: Nicole Caropolo

College students are great at a lot of things. They can pull multiple all-nighters before exams, right a 1,000-word paper 2 hours before it’s due, and can tell you the best places to get cheap textbooks. One thing that college students are not so great at is finding things to eat besides Raman noodles and $1 pizza. Thanks to a new club that is beginning at Baruch College called Spoon University, you will no longer have to suffer through microwavable noodles and doughy, undercooked pizza.

Spoon University is a site made by college students and for college students. It revolves around all aspects of food, from the best local restaurants to recipes that you can make in your dorm. They also have articles on a variety of important, relevant topics related to food that prove how influential the food you eat can truly be.

Spoon University currently has over 150 chapters across U.S. college campuses, as well as over 50 more in production.

Baruch College’s branch for Spoon University was started by Hannah Sarraf, a Baruch College sophomore. After receiving 300 signatures on a petition, the branch became established.

The site intrigued Sarraf because she’s always been a “foodie.”

“I’ve always been interested in it,” Sarraf said about food. “Cooking in the kitchen, wanting to know more about what I eat.”

Katherine Recinos, Baruch College senior, is an avid reader of Spoon as well as a close friend of Sarraf’s, and she is confident Sarraf’s leadership skills.

“Hannah will be a great head of the Spoon at Baruch branch because she’s very passionate about the topic,” Recinos said. “I’m so impressed already by the initiative she has taken to get it off the ground.”

A major topic often covered in Spoon articles is health. This isn’t referring to just reducing the amount of cookies you eat in one sitting or doing 10 minutes of yoga every morning. This refers to common healthy food trends that have blown up throughout the teenage and young adult demographics.

Common health trends that have been taking over the current generation include things like protein smoothies, kale, and organic ingredients. Spoon embraces these growing trends with stories like “4 Smoothies to Get You in Shape for Summer” and “5 Ways to Make Kale Not Suck.”

The overwhelming content of health on Spoon is proving that just because you have a low budget, doesn’t mean that you can’t have nutrition and protein in your daily diet. Regardless of time and money, you should always have your health in mind.

“The section of Spoon that is based around health can and should appeal to college students because we need to make good decisions about what we’re putting into our bodies,” Sarraf said. “We need to eat more intelligently. We’re college students so we’re low on money and buy groceries on a budget. Spoon appeals to that.”

Spoon’s recipes give students the chance to stay fit from the comfort of their own kitchen. The overwhelming amount of these recipes on the site prove that you can include healthy food and drinks into your diet without having to sit down at a restaurant for every meal and order something with unpronounceable ingredients.

Food is more than just a necessity for living. It has become very influential in unexpected ways. Spoon University covers a wide variety of important, relevant topics such as eating disorders and what to eat based on your religion.

Eating disorders are relevant to not only college students, but to all ages. Spoon acknowledges the real issues that surround the sensitive topic of disorders through profiles of people that deal with them, as well as informational articles about the truth behind eating disorders. They have articles including “Why I Consider My Eating Disability a Disorder” and “10 Misconceptions About Eating Disorders.”

Melanie Cordova, Baruch College senior, is excited to see content on important, serious topics like eating disorders that many students may be worried to speak out about.

“It’s great to have coverage on that to show people that they aren’t alone and there’s other alternatives to help during their times of despair,” Cordova said. “A big platform should use their power to spread awareness of those things and also help their audience, and inform them on trends that they can benefit from.”

Eating habits based off of religion are another important part of many college students’ daily lives, especially in diversified colleges like Baruch. Eating kosher, specific table manners, eating certain foods for holidays, these are all things that college kids may be dealing with based off of their religion. It’s not always easy either, as we can tell by Spoon articles like “5 of the Weirdest Jewish Food Traditions, as Told by a Jew” and “What Americans Don’t Know About Real Indian Food.”

Spoon covering issues such as health, eating disorders and religious foods proves that food is more than just something to fill your stomach so you don’t get sick or tired. It plays a pivotal role in our daily lives that many may take for granted, and we need to be aware of the issues and obstacles that may come along with it.

The intriguing part about having a Spoon branch that caters to Baruch is that it will show content unique to our area and our students, like the best restaurants near Madison Square Park and what to eat from the school café.

Spoon at Baruch is currently searching for photographers, writers, videographers, and marketers to contribute. The application deadline is October 3rd, and students can apply at http://spoonuniversity.com/apply.

 

 

Class Agenda – September 14, 2016

Discussion: Any issues arising as you work on getting your first drafts to me by class time on Monday.

In-class writing exercise

Feature lede and nut graph based on these reporter’s notes:

The Parks Department recorded 35 separate incidents in which animal heads and decapitated corpses were found in city parks from 2010 – 2014.
Practitioners of various religions (Voodoo, Santeria, certain sects of Hinduism) sometimes leave sacrificial chickens on the edge of Jamaica Bay in Howard Beach, Queens.

Homeless man living under North Channel Bridge in Howard Beach has been rescuing abandoned chickens
Ahmed Yasin, 42, raised Muslim in Guyana but is a practicing Christian
The most he’s had at one time was about 2 dozen, mostly roosters (20)
Feeds them scraps of stale bagels found in a nearby trash can, soaks them in water to make them soft enough to eat
“I don’t know who brings them. They leave them in boxes to die.” – Yasin
The dominant rooster, Anthony, is black and white and fat. One hen named Blue often jumps onto Yasin’s shoulder and nuzzles his neck. One of the first roosters Yasin ever found is named Gimpy because his talons had been cut off.
State Assemblyman Phil Goldbaum (his district includes Howard Beach): “I think it’s a slippery slope once you start regulating religion.”

Chickens accounted for 189 of the 415 complaints about non-domesticated animals filed through the city’s 311 system from 2014 through 2015 -city Health Department.

Guest speaker: Danielle Tcholakian, reporter covering Greenwich Village and Soho for DNAinfo. Read this feature story she reported and start thinking about questions for her. How does she find stories as a local beat reporter, etc.?

Class – September 12, 2016

  1. Discussion: Killer Robots

  2. Reporting updates/check-ins

Reminder: Rough draft of feature is due next Monday, September 19.

What I will be looking for:

EVIDENCE OF SOLID REPORTING
Multiple sources cited, quotes correctly attributed, statistics or other research that back up your assertions and provide context for story

My first journalism professor had an automatic failure policy for stories where students misreported or misspelled any proper name, whether it was a street or a person. That was a graduate-level course so I won’t be quite that strict with you guys, but I relay that fact simply to impress upon you the seriousness of any mistake that would require a correction to be issued. Corrections are really embarrassing.

FOUNDATIONS OF GOOD WRITING
Proper spelling, grammar, AP style

STORYTELLING
Structure, pacing, ability to sketch out a scene, use of narrative devices

EVIDENCE THAT YOU’RE DEVELOPING A STYLE
Style sometimes varies depending on audience. It can be formal or informal, light and funny or somber, conversational, succinct, or profane.

3. Reading Assignment: Pearls Before Breakfast

Chinatown of Brooklyn

Their are three thousand more Chinese people in the Sunset Park neighborhood than currently living in Manhattans Chinatown according to the NPA demographic break down of 2008-2012.
This influx of Chinese immigrants began in he late 80s and has continued to rise, while living in harmony with a large Hispanic community and a prominent albeit smaller Islamic community.

Sunset Park is called the Chinatown of Brooklyn. One of the only communities to spring up so rapidly and flourish so fast is currently going through gentrification like many Boroughs in the City. With this gentrification however come new waterfront job opportunities that the sunset park community is desperately wanting a piece of.

In the piece id like to write I would explore how this Brooklyn Chinatown came to be without many noticing and how they plan on keeping a hold on their ever expanding community.