Feature Writing

“‘You’re closed?’ ‘Yes, we’re closed.’ ‘Can I get a hot chocolate?’ ‘Of course, large right?’”

Encounters like this happen multiple times as I try to interview Angel Miranda, owner of The Mug Café in Sunset Park. Though the Café has been closed for at least a half hour, Miranda keeps serving as long as the lights are on and the doors unlocked.

At the age of twenty-five, The Mug Café, is Miranda’s first business. But not his only focus, “I’m self-employed, I guess,” he says laughing. “I trade stocks; myself. I’m trying to get my real estate license and I’m also getting my Series Six.”

While attending St. Francis college Miranda was mentored by a professor and learned how to trade stocks, “I opened an E-Trade account and started trading, I loved it, I was good at it.”

Miranda is from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and would switch to the N train at 59^th St. after school spending time at the local café’s and around the area. So when Miranda’s mother came to him with the idea of opening a restaurant in Sunset Park he loved the location but not the food industry. “I was like, yeah but the food business is like a 90% margin that you’re going to close. Like the risk rate is 90%. I was told once that out of every ten restaurants within 5 years only one stays open. Nine close. Then after 10 years out of those five that lasted, one out of them remain opened. So your odds are stacked to fail, which is true. It’s such a cutthroat business.”

Miranda never wanted the full on café, he just wanted to sell coffee and pastries, “No need for cooking, no kitchen work, no hiring a porter, no grill. But you can’t do that here, you can’t pay your rent just selling coffee.”

It’s been three years since The Mug Café opened in October 2013 and business is going well. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner options at very reasonable prices. Hospital catering has brought in more business; with Mount Sinai Hospital becoming a client.

But with transitioning neighborhood his target market is forever changing, “First it was all Asian people, then Hispanic, now we have white people, it’s like who is my target? And it weird because I’m Mexican myself, but I’ll hear my fellow Mexicans in Spanish say, ‘It’s only for blancitos.’ Like no what are you talking about! I’m Mexican! I own it!”, he says shaking his head.

“That alone annoys me. When like automatically your instinct is that’s white people only, it’s like what do you mean that white people only, that doesn’t make sense at all to me.”

Miranda continually looks for other sources of income. He’s studying to get his real estate license, as well as the Series Six exam. He would like to get back into day trading as well but it’s currently not an option, “I tried and I lost. In trading, seconds matter and I just don’t have the time. I’m trying to get different channels of income where you’re growing wealth instead of just being rich. You gotta hustle in New York, there’s no such thing as sleep, not if you want to make it here”

The Mug Café is located on 5811 4^th Avenue, Brooklyn 11220.

Source List

– Angel Miranda (347) 342 – 7288, [email protected]

Domestic violence. Two words that many individuals fear in our society for a variety of different reasons. Whether it be denial or an individual’s choice to stay quiet, domestic violence is real, especially in today’s world.

Recently, domestic violence allegations have been made against now-former Giants Placekicker Josh Brown. Brown had been arrested in May 2015 under charges of battery and domestic abuse. However, those charges were dropped immediately and the story went quiet for months.

It was not until July of 2016 where the story began to make national headlines. The NFL at the time suspended Brown one game for his arrest. The key thing to remember is that they didn’t suspend him for allegations of domestic abuse (which would result in a 6 game suspension for first offenders), they suspended him for his arrest.

Brown’s suspension came and went. By week two of the NFL season, Brown was already back on the sidelines with his teammates, kicking field goals, which he had been doing for the past fourteen seasons.

Brown had been with the Giants for four seasons and was a fan-favorite. He had kicked many memorable field goals throughout his stint with the Giants. However, on October 20^th, the same fans that had cheered Brown for his prowess on the football field, had turned their back on him.

Brown’s allegations of domestic violence had been confirmed true by documents released by the Kings County Sheriff’s office in Washington. The documents have Brown admitting to physically and emotionally abusing his ex-wife Molly Brown on more than twenty different occasions.

Many around the world were outraged. From ex-football players to news personalities, each had something to say that only seemed to crucify Brown even further. Baltimore Raven’s wide receiver Steve Smith said it best “If your ex-wife was my daughter, yo ass would be on IR (Injured Reserve).”

Now, domestic violence is something that should not be tolerated in our society, especially in today’s age. Brown’s actions are disgraceful, pitiful and downright awful. However, what gets me aggravated is that all those fans that cheered Josh Brown when he kicked game winning field goals, were the ones who ripped him the most.

Obviously domestic violence is no sensitive matter. But how can you judge someone you may not even personally know. We have all these fans and journalists ripping Brown and the Giants (who backed him throughout his situation until they released him on October 25^th) for the way they handled the entire situation. But who are these people? Who are they to Brown or the Giants?

It’s something that expands into our daily lives. We are told that to be successful that we have to be humble or thankful to be successful, but why? Who said you have to?

Brown doesn’t get involved in our personal lives so why should we get involved in his? Just because he’s a celebrity? What happened to privacy that we all preach but clearly Brown can’t seem to get any. It’s been over two weeks since the new reports came out and reporters are still having at it. They can’t seem to let the Giants or Brown breathe. It’s about time to get over it.

Again, I’d like to reiterate that in no way shape or form are Browns actions tolerable. However, I believe that the best thing would be to leave him be. He needs time to think about his actions without being under constant watch and scrutiny.

When someone who isn’t famous commits a crime such as this one, it makes the news for a minute and is never heard from again. So what makes Brown so special?

When thinking of domestic violence in sports cases like O.J. Simpson and Ray Rice are brought up constantly. Simpson was a part of “the chase” and the most publicly scrutinized trial in the 20^th century. As for Rice, his case is more recent as he had beat his Wife in an elevator, was backed by his team(the Baltimore Ravens) and then got released the minute a new video came to be revealed.

What makes this situation even worse in my opinion is that these franchises like the Giants or the Ravens for months and then as soon as new information hits the public and the team is on the cusp of being ripped apart by the media, these players get released like they did not mean anything to them. It just shows that the NFL is all about looks and making money. The minute a player’s value tumbles, they are no longer needed. In other words, “they’re just a piece of meat” said Dimitri Badette, a former high school football player.

“What Brown did is a joke. I’m a Giants fan so I used to back him every Sunday. He was one of the best kickers in the league and now I’d bet he isn’t going to play again. Such a waste of talent” said Badette.

Badette’s not wrong. It’s difficult for anyone to make it to the NFL so for Brown who is a veteran to waste his talent is sad. He should have thought about what he did because now it’s not like anyone’s going to call him and offer him a job.

“When I heard about this, all I could think about were his kids. The sad part is now they’re going to be the ones who are mocked and bullied at school because of what he did. It’s really sad” said Marilda Silva, 42.

Silva had suffered through many years of during her past marriage. “I stayed because I didn’t want my kids to grow up without a father. I didn’t want them to think that their family was broken. It got to a point where it was so bad. I thought I was going to die. So I left and went to my sister’s house,” said Silva.

Silva does not follow Football, but she does believe that his status as a celebrity should have no effect on this situation. “What he did is wrong. Men like him aren’t men, they’re cowards.” Said Silva “He’s getting all this attention, like this is what these guys want. Everyone’s going to remember his name, but no one remembers my ex-husbands name, the media is a joke.”

Molly Brown and Marilda Silva is not alone. 1 in 3 woman suffer from domestic abuse yearly, and that number has only been rising. It’s unfortunate, but domestic violence plays a predominant part of the society we live in today.

As for Brown, everyone will continue to bash him. For what he did is unjust. The problem is those people who continue to nag Brown are just as wrong. Those who write about Brown may receive a pay check, but not Brown is unemployed. By continuing to destroy him the chances of him getting another job whether it be in the NFL or at a supermarket lessens by each passing day.

Brown may have been a bully, but it’s not right to bully another bully as two wrongs don’t make a right.

TKTK I need a better intro here.

United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union was more than a choice to leave a politico-economic union. The decision, supported by 52 percent of the people who cast their votes, sparked a larger movement that gave rise to xenophobic behavior carried out by the British people, from anti-immigrant graffiti to derogatory comments made toward foreign-born residents.

This behavior shows a dangerous shift in the attitude of British citizens. With the refugee crisis plaguing Europe and right-wing parties gaining support throughout the continent, a rise in anti-immigrant behavior in the United Kingdom could harm the country in the long run.

The results of such behavior can already be seen. In a recent video made by the BBC, Polish immigrants spoke about their post-Brexit experiences.

TKTK talk about the video, which I need to find.

The trend is not specific to England. Bernard Agrest spent the past academic year in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he earning a master’s degree in educational policy. Even though Scotland’s citizens were largely pro-European Union, Agrest noted that there was a clear shift in attitudes following the vote.

TKTK an interview with Agrest

TKTK Elaborate on my opinion.

This is an official report that talks in-depth about the rise of intolerance in the United Kingdom and the groups that are most affected by it.: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Country-by-country/United_Kingdom/GBR-CbC-V-2016-038-ENG.pdf

A relevant article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brexit-vote-has-led-to-noticeable-rise-in-uk-xenophobia-watchdog-warns-a7343646.html

Final assignment: Write a deeply reported, long form (1,500 to 2,000-word) magazine story.

What is “long form” and why is it all the rage?

Pick a favorite magazine or news site and read several of their longform stories to get a sense of their style and their audience. Then pitch a story aimed at that specific publication.

Some examples:

The Atlantic

Outside

Mother Jones

The New Yorker

GQ

Cosmopolitan

Buzzfeed

VICE

Rolling Stone

Medium

For next class: write a short blog post about one or two dream publications you’d like to write for. Tell me about the kind of longform stories they run and how you would assess their intended audience. Feel free to brainstorm some general ideas for a pitch, but it doesn’t have to be a fully realized pitch yet.

Full pitches will be due on Monday. Good, strong pitches that show evidence that you’ve begun the reporting process.

—

For the rest of class, you’ll be workshopping each other’s op-eds. If you finish early, you can begin researching your publication of choice for the homework assignment.

Kevin Wang

Imagine this: The doors open. Hours and hours of waiting has finally reached its pivotal point. You pile in like the rest of the movie watchers. The excitement is unbearable because you waited so long for an adaptation of your favorite anime, Ghost in the Shell, the classic Japanese animated film adapted from Japanese manga. You can’t wait to see what beautiful Asian actor they cast for Motoko Kusanagi, the Asian law enforcement officer who has gone through technological updates to combat crime. As the curtains part, the screen brightens. Everyone is clapping and cheering as the movie is starting.

Motoko Kusanhagi is introduced in the first scene of the movie except there is something wrong as Scarlett Johansson takes the stage and introduces herself as Motoko Kusanhagi, the Asian law enforcement officer. Whitewashing is the myth that has become the reality of most Asians and Asian-Americans.

“An Asian star can only shine so bright among Caucasian stars,” says Huei Chang, an Asian immigrant from Taiwan with a passion for film and movies.

Whitewashing is a term coined to be Hollywood’s spinoff of actor casting. Hollywood has received tremendous controversy for the portrayal of roles in movies to be predominantly white actors and actresses even if the role was to be of another ethnicity. For example, the Academy Awards has gone under fire with the idea from the public that only white people can win an Academy Award. There has been a hashtag contributed to the cause, #OscarsSoWhite. The fact of the matter is that the films nominated for an Academy Award are voted on by white individuals. Speculations arise that racial bias is at play. In the day and age of social movements and change, it is hard to imagine America, the land of opportunity, is the land that only offers opportunity to a specific race.

Huei Chang,71, and several other Asian Americans including Wei Chang, 30 and Li Huei Ming, 45, sit in a Buddhist temple reflecting the influence of American culture into their culture after their weekly prayer and movie. The idea that the emergence of whitewash has eliminated any opportunities for Asian Americans bottled their minds.

“It’s tough to know that your culture is slowly being sucked out of your own mind,” says Wei Chang, an avid film watcher. “So many people I’ve encountered, friends and family have started to latch onto the white culture such as Asian girls dying their hair blonde. They try to fit in but in reality they should be standing out.”

Asian Americans have gone through the phases of Hollywood’s extension of an opportunity. The shows that are created and aired such as “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Dr. Ken” by ABC stereotype the typical Asian household undergoing the difficulties of being an immigrant.

Even in the new and highly anticipated movie, “Dr. Strange”, a male monk that is of Asian descent and otherwise known as the Ancient One, was played by Tilda Swinton, a Caucasian female. According to Cinemablend’s interview with Marvel Studies President Kevin Feige, the explanation was that the movie came up to be the chance to play with gender roles in movies.

Now, this isn’t the first time a film has adapted its Chinese orientated stars to be white and it certainly won’t be the last. Last year, Sony released “Aloha,” a film about a quarter-Chinese, quarter Native Hawaiian fighter pilot named Allison Ng. The actress that played the part, none other than the green-eyed, blond-haired Emma Stone.

It’s bad enough that Hollywood takes pivotal roles from Asians and replace them with white actors. Fox News’ “The Bill O’Reilly Factor” features a segment called Watters’ World. Jesse Watters, a soon to be hopefully fired commentator of the segment, goes around asking individuals questions about current events. Since the show claimed the word China was mentioned 23 times, they thought it was best to do a segment of politics in Chinatown.

Not only did Watters make a complete fool out of himself, he bit into every stereotypical idea of Asians and made it a segment. Watters would interview non-native English speakers on purpose with brief scenes of movies ridiculing the individual.

At the end of the segment, O’Reily just laments about the letters he’s going to receive about this segment knowing full well of the fire that it would start, Fox News still gave it the permission to air on national television.

“The Bill O’Reilly Factor” much like the casting directors of Hollywood films need to find the same fate: unemployed.

Fact of the matter is; Caucasian movie stars have been guaranteed to have a blockbuster hit in the box office scores. The water is safe once the movie dives into the pool of theatres with a Caucasian. With an Asian movie star, the likeliness of drowning is sure fire.

The question now comes of how to break the myth of this reality. Looking forward, a 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report: Flipping the Script, detailed that a diverse cast and crew would actually lead to higher investments and greater success.

Action must be taken to ensure the equality of opportunity America once so proudly stood for. Petitions must be written and signed. There is to be no racial bias, only talent-based cast. The time for being stripped of opportunities has come and gone. Social equality is the message; opportunity for all is the goal.

Drawing the Line in Pop Culture: Fascination or Unhealthy Idolization?

In this celebrity-crazed culture, we all know what it’s like to go all “heart eyes” over our favorite celebrities like melting at the sight of Channing Tatum’s perfect bone structure or envying Kate Hudson’s body. Unhealthy behavior has been on the rise in pop culture by blurring the lines of celebrity fascination and harmful idolization, especially in terms of personal body perception and modification.

An issue that has become increasingly common in our generation is being so awe-filled by celebrities that we allow it to warp our own behavior and lifestyle. This is especially true when it comes to body image. We always want to look like our favorite celebrities on the cover of every magazine, but many fans have taken this body envy to the extreme with permanent physical changes.

A prime example of this unhealthy behavior is Kylie Jenner. Over the past few years, Jenner has become a well-known socialite and social media star. She has become known for many of her physical attributes, but especially her thick lips. Lip augmentation has become a sought after procedure for many women due to idolization of Jenner. This also resulted in the “Kylie Jenner challenge,” where people plump their lips by sucking the air out of a glass. This resulted in many dangerous consequences, including popped blood vessels.

Other people that have modified themselves to look like stars include Toby Sheldon, who got plastic surgery to look like Justin Bieber, and Jack Johnson, a 19-year-old who spent close to $30,000 to look like David Beckham.

This all boils down to the constant desire to look like society’s definition of “perfect,” and low self-esteem due to impossible physical goals. Instead of being happy with who we are, both inside and out, we change to look and act like the celebrities that everyone loves. We think, “Well they are loved for their looks, so I should just look like them.” It’s so unsettling that people focus all of their efforts on people that they never even met, instead of becoming comfortable with who they are.

The key is to figuring out how to be a fan of a celebrity, without allowing their image to physically and mentally change who you are as an individual. Instead of changing your body to look just like Scarlett Johansson, figure out how you can be healthy and confident like her while still being like you. Instead of getting plastic surgery to look like Demi Lovato, you can work on how to be strong and optimistic like she is an example of. Look at them as personal inspirations for the characteristics they portray, not a body to copy.

Idolization can be extremely dangerous in many different ways, but it’s especially strong in the world of pop culture. It becomes an issue when young girls care more about who Taylor Swift is dating than their own grades. People are becoming so obsessed with the lives on reality television that it takes over their own lives.

A prime reason that leads to unhealthy celebrity idolization is the fact that social media and interviews allow us to feel like we know them personally. Like we know their deepest secrets and thoughts. It allows us to feel like their best friends.

On the video platform of YouTube, there are people known as “YouTubers” or “vloggers,” which stands for daily video blogging, where viewers can follow them along in their day-to-day experiences and adventures. This breaks down the third between a “celebrity” and their fans.

This has resulted in fierce communities of YouTube fans that will not only defend the social media personalities, but look up to them as role models. This all leads back to aspiring so greatly to be like our favorite stars, that we allow it to change how we think, act, and look.

Alexa Carrollo, 21, has been an avid YouTube subscriber since she was 15, especially of the beauty vlogger known as Zoella.

“She is an inspiration to me. Not only does she give incredible beauty and fashion tips, she speaks about deeper issues such as her anxiety,” Carrollo said.

Carrollo is very adamant about remaining true to herself and not allowing her fan appreciation for Zoella turn into a dangerous idolization.

“It’s possible to be a fan of a person without wanting to be exactly like them,” Carrollo said. “I can appreciate the beauty of a model or YouTuber without thinking ‘I need to look just like her.’ “

Crossing the line from celebrity appreciation to unhealthy obsession stems from deep insecurity. Celebrities are people just like us with feelings and flaws. Just because they can sing high notes or captivate a movie theater audience doesn’t mean that we are any less of a person for not being just like them.

Body modification inspired by celebrities is both unhealthy and sad to witness. We need to learn how to love ourselves without a comparison to a star. We need to put more focus on ourselves and our loved ones more than those of the rich and famous.

Separation of church and state has been one of the founding principles of the United States. However, religion continues to find itself crossing over the fine threshold. The opposition defends this practice by stating as long as there is equal representation of all religions, it is not unconstitutional—but this is often not the case.

Last year, Arkansas’ State Senator Jason Rapert signed into law to install a monument of the Ten Commandment on public ground at Arkansas State Capitol. Rapert said of the monument, “[It] shall not be construed to mean that the State of Arkansas favors any particular religion or denomination over others.”

The Satanic Temple, an activist group that supports egalitarianism and separation of church and state, attended a meeting last month to have a Baphomet statue, a symbol of Satanism, beside the Ten Commandment monument.

“It’s not like we’re anti-Christian or anti-religion. We’re just against having the government shove religion down our throats,” says Anthony Owen, a supporter of The Satanic Temple. “I don’t want my son growing up in a world filled with narrow-minded dogmatic views.”

State Senator Rapert said on Twitter, “There will never be a statue installed by the Satanic Temple on our Capitol grounds.”

Then, there should not be a Ten Commandments monument either.

Installing a Ten Commandments monument sets precedent that any religious group is allowed to have their own monument on the ground. If this is not the case, the courts will most likely rule it unconstitutional because there must be equal representation of religion by law.

Rapert’s earlier statement on how the monument does not show a favor to any particular religion is not true. The Ten Commandments, a wholly Christian document, opens up with, “I am the Lord, thy God,” and goes onto state, “Thou shalt have no other gods.” These lines alone seem to favor Christianity above all other religions, especially when Rapert, the one who wrote and signed the monument’s bill into law, already denied another religion to have their place on Capitol grounds.

The Capitol grounds currently various monuments and memorials, but they all honor veterans, law enforcement, and civil rights leaders, representing parts of the state’s history—none of which are religiously based. This religious documents undermines the established theme at the Capitol ground, one where religion has no place.

“I think if this monument was 100 years old, it might be a different story,” says Owen. “In that case, I might consider the historical value of such a monument. This is not that. This is something brand new and does not belong here.”

Back in 2005, the McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The ACLU sued three counties in Kentucky about the wall displays of religious documents, including the Ten Commandments, at public schools and courts. In a 5-4 majority, the Supreme Court ruled the displays unconstitutional, in part because the documents were in isolation and, thus, promoted religion.

Oklahoma had a similar issue that Arkansas faces presently. It was a single monumental display of the Ten Commandments on public property installed in 2012. The Satanic Temple, again, requested to have the statue of Baphomet installed. After news of this request got around, local Pastafarians, followers to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (yes, you read that correctly), demanded a monument of their own to be installed. In 2015, the Ten Commandments monument was removed.

-Founding Fathers beliefs

-Dangers of religion crossing over into government; politicians pander; discrimination/ prejudice

The Trump Effect: A future of Uncertainty

Rushing through the crowded hallways of Lehman college to catch the four train that leaves at 3:30, Angela Martinez suddenly realizes that she forgot to ask her Biology professor about the next assignment.

She lets out a big sight.

“I won’t make it to work on time,” she says. “Just give me a second, I have to call my job to let them know I will be late, again.”

Martinez, 20 is a student at Lehman College pursing a nursing degree. She is also a DREAMER, an undocumented immigrant who migrated with her parents when she was seven years old from Puebla, Mexico. DREAMERs were brought to this country, were raised here, attended school in the United States and identify as Americans.

The executive order, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), implemented the summer of 2012 from President Barack Obama, to Martinez, is “a blessing”. DACA is meant to protect undocumented immigrants who entered the country before the age of sixteen from deportation and allowing them to work in the United States legally. This executive order also gives those who qualify other benefits, such as a temporary Social Security, access to obtaining a driving license, and paying in-state college tuition.

Trump has made it very clear that if he gets elected president, he would do everything in his power to deport all undocumented immigrants back to their country. He has also said that the executive order DACA would not continue under his power.

“Before DACA, I was constantly worried about my future,” Martinez says. “I mean, how was I supposed to pay for my education when I was not even allowed to work in this country without running the risk of breaking the law, all because you wanted to earn some money?”

Martinez’s mother, Maria Asuncion is a housekeeper on the Upper West side who works only two days a week, and her father, Mario Martinez, is a cook at a steak house who works full-time. With their salary, they have just enough to support Martinez and her three siblings, ages 17, 15 and 8.

“All my life I have seen my parents working, they have been working to survive, but they are not living life like they deserve to. As soon as I heard about DACA, I knew that was my opportunity to work towards my future, and through that give my parents a break.”

Martinez was entering her senior year of high school when DACA was passed, but she wasted no time. After receiving her card and temporary Social Security, she started looking for a job, and soon she began working as a server on the Upper East Side.

“I had one year to save up enough money to pay my first year of tuition at a community college, because I was obviously not going to afford a four-year college, let alone a private university.” Martinez says, shaking her head.

And Martinez did just that. She was able to save up to pay her first year at LaGuardia Community College. But the real struggle was in her sophomore year of college, when she had to keep working in order to continue her education while balancing her time to do her homework in order to maintain good grades.

“That was the hardest year of my life. I thought senior year was hard but, that was only a taste. I was running up and down all the time from work to school and vice versa. There were many nights when I would only sleep four or five hours and in many days, I skipped a meal due to the lack of time I had. Whenever I had any free time, I would go to the library and finish all of my assignments,” Martinez says.

All of the stress Martinez was under started taking a toll on her health. She had constant back pains and unbearable headaches. It was also affecting her relationship with her family and friends. They became more distant and the communication between them was very limited.

It was then that Martinez began looking for scholarships to help her with tuition. After a long process and much dedication, Martinez was awarded the DREAM U.S scholarship, a national scholarship granted to students who qualified for DACA. The scholarship would cover her full tuition for junior and senior year.

While this scholarship was a great “blessing,” many concerns remain for Martinez and her family. With the upcoming elections, their future is uncertain.

“We always thought that he [Donald Trump] was just a joke, and he would not get as far as he has. But now, we are preparing for the worst,” Martinez says.

Trump has targeted many groups of people through his very offensive and discriminatory comments, and Mexicans were no exception for him. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people,” said Trump on June 2016 as he announced that he would be running for presidency.

“Realistically speaking, I know that if he gets elected president, he does not have the power to remove all undocumented immigrants from the U.S. but I am sure that he can do a lot of damage, and all of these benefits from DACA will be gone, especially my scholarship,” she says.

Well aware of what can possibly happen if Trump wins’ presidency, Martinez’s schedule is a busy one again. Afraid that she will be loosing her scholarship, she is determined to finish her education even if that means many more sleepless nights

Anthony Aiken said, “I think the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will meet in the NBA finals for the third year in a row.”

“I really love the New York Knicks; I love the lineup of Noah, Melo, Rose and Porzingis,” said Aiken.

“The Los Angeles Lakers will be ok, DeAngelo Russell needs to stay off Snapchat and stop snitching, other then that I think kobe Bryant last year lit a match under all of the younger players to think about longevity and what it takes to be in the hall of fame ” said Akien, but added “They are exciting, but won’t make the playoffs.”

“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.”