City Beat

The first time Denise Romero, a Junior at Baruch College, heard about Occupy Wall Street she was unfazed, expecting the movement to last only a few weeks. However as the movement built steam – drawing more and more participants, spreading to other cities and resulting in clashes with the police — she found herself becoming more intrigued.

“It made me think, maybe I could finally have a voice and we needed to be heard,” she said.

Romero, from Astoria Queens, is a prominent member of “Students for a Free CUNY,” a group whose primary mission is to combat the rising tuition costs of students in the City University of New York system. Eventually hoping to return the system to the days when it was free.

On November 21st, spurred on by Occupy Wall Street and in response to the CUNY Board of Trustees’ public hearing to decide whether or not to enact tuition hikes across the board at their public Universities, students took to the streets. “Students for a free CUNY” in conjunction with “Stand Up Baruch” organized boisterous protests outside the Baruch College Campus, eventually culminating in 25 arrests.

Romero expressed concern over the way things progressed.

“We made our way into the building because we had signed up to speak at the public hearing,” she said.

She also denied that the protesters were there to riot.

“This is something we definitely did not plan. We did not come with the intentions of having a violent protest,” said Romero.

Romero is part of a new generation – not Generation X, not Generation Y, but perhaps best described as, “Generation Why.” They are asking questions of authority and staking their claims, They want a new system, it’s not just to stop corporate greed, or golden parachutes but they want to alter a society they believe is riddled with faults, and 2011 has been the year for their voices to be heard.

After the 1960s and 70s, where protests burgeoned with the baby boomer generation, there was a periodic lapse. The two decades beginning in the late 80s witnessed the greatest rise in living standards that the world has ever known. Money was everywhere, getting credit was easy, complacency was ubiquitous. Street protests, on the other hand were reduced to the realm of pointless emotional sideshows, subordinate incidents of little importance. They were regarded as obsolete, mundane and filled with the dregs of society.

However the failure of the economy in 2008 coupled with the 8.6% unemployment rate today has seemingly struck a chord with the public. Eventually this generation, once lambasted for their lack of activism has gotten off the couch and onto the streets as the young hands appear ready to take over the fight. Stacey Mazurek  a 29-year-old, executive assistant from Queens, remembers what first spurred her on to joining the occupation

“I heard about these protestors getting pepper sprayed and I was like “Wow” thats messed up. I had to go down there I had to see what was going on.”

The burgeoning movement was halted by the raiding of the park on November 15th by the New York Police Department, who completely cleared out the park of its residents and their belongings. Now, huddled by the benches at a now almost vacant Zucotti Park, Mazurek lights an oddly poetic, American Spirit cigarette, representing the pseudo-patriotism running through her veins, while recounting the memories garnered over the past couple months.

“I heard so many different stories over the pass couple months, it was crazy. From former bankers revealing what they were forced to do, to a homeless mother of three” Mazurek said.

She also remained confident that this was only the beginning.

“That was stage one, we are now beyond the occupation of a physical space, its alive and it is spreading.”

The growing protest movement comes at a time when young people around the world are taking to the streets to demand change. One only has to look the the Arab Spring earlier this year which commenced with the protest in Cairo, Egypt. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of marches, demonstrations and labour strikes. Millions of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. This, along with the other protests which span the globe ultimately show how the disenfranchised youth are reacting. In 2011 Protestors all over the world share a belief that their countries’ political systems and economies have grown dysfunctional and corrupt — lambasting the sham democracies rigged to favor the affluent.

At Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan, protesters put forth a litany of complaints that run the gamut. Their complaints range from police frisking to the veracity of the alphabet, even “Occupy Paw Street” an advocate group for animals has been born.

Kristin Sommer, a social psychology professor at Baruch College chalks this phenomenon up to a combination of closely connected psychological theories. According to Sommer, people want to feel like their lives have meaning and purpose which can be achieved in part by defending and bolstering cultural world views.

“Occupy Wall Street is in a sense a cultural phenomenon or movement that may imbue people with the sense that they are contributing meaningfully to society.” Sommer said.

The “true partner effect” a psychological theory which refers to the idea that people are more likely to stand up for what they believe if they have at least one other person who is willing to do so as well is also applicable here. Sommers was quite candid in her explanation.

“People look to others to gauge the veracity of their beliefs ,disillusionment with economic conditions gains momentum when people see that others feel the same way they do.”

While inspiring the younger generation to speak out, the Occupy Wall Street movement covers a wide range of demographics. A survey of participants rebutted image of the movement being made up of uncleanly, hippie, unemployed protesters as some have complained they have been portrayed in the news media.

According to a survey of Zuccotti Park protesters by the Baruch College School of Public Affairs published on October 19, of 1,619 web respondents, 1/3 were older than 35, half were employed full-time, 13% were unemployed and 13% earned over $75,000. Democrats represented 27.3 percent 2.4% called themselves Republicans, while the rest, 70%, called themselves independents.

“I have a job, I make over 45,000 a year I’m not homeless, but I’m here” Mazurek stated in a defiant tone.

As the wave of activism takes place moving from strength to strength, more people, especially the youth are becoming involved. Gone are the days of being labeled as the lazy, couch ridden generation. In 2011 they are shunning ‘Call of Duty’ and in turn responding to their own. While the scenes at Baruch College and Occupy Wall Street will not soon be forgotten these peaceful protesters believe they will eventually make a change. The have brought issue out of the vague foggy realm of think tanks and placed them right into the middle of society.

Mazurek, currently mired in the process of creating ‘Occupy Astoria,’ in her Queens neighborhood summed up the importance of the movement to her.

“It’s just the idea of more of a presence in society, in these ways, providing alternatives but also bringing awareness to the trials and tribulations these people are experiencing in their daily lives, thats what we need.” 

Multimedia: Audio Slideshow, raw audio from CUNY protests.

“As far as going pro, I’ve always been determined and disciplined to do anything I set my mind on, therefore with the proper tools and exposure, I don’t see the reason not to,” said Modibo Keita, 24, of the Bronx.

Keita was not raised in a basketball environment, “I wasn’t fortunate enough to play basketball at a very young age and I’ve never had anyone invest time in me”. In high school after being told that he was not good enough to play basketball at the next level, Keita continued to work on his game and make Hostos Community College championship team. This has not been enough for Keita to reach the level that he has always dreamed of. “My skill has never been exposed on a higher level to where I would make a living off of it”

Neuro Kinetics is a company that was started in 2007 by Alric Donaldson, 40, of Brooklyn New York. “It’s all about mentoring and developing talent,” said Donaldson. Neuro Kinetics (Niki) takes functional training to the next level by making it sports specific. The goal is to mentor talent and set them on the right path to life. Children as young as ten years old can be apart of Niki.

Donaldson has been in the fitness industry for over 13 years. He is nationally certified to train athletes as well as special populations (the elderly, prenatal, injured). Donaldson has worked with the Brooklyn Titans, a youth American Athletics Union (AAU) team in New York for years. As well as working with Brooklyn College athletics, where he got his degree in Exercise Science.  Even as a personal trainer, Donaldson has always had athletics in mind. “I train many of my clients as athletes”

Donaldson is teaming up with Aviator Sports and Recreation facility in Brooklyn, New York. This 800-acre facility includes two hockey rinks, two basketball courts, two indoor grass fields as well as an outdoor football field, full weight and cardio areas, gymnastics studio, plus more recreational areas.

Donaldson is going to run their Strength and Conditioning training sessions taking place from January – March. There are two groups attending these workout sessions, the first group is made up of young adults, and the second is made up of adults.

The primary areas of use are the two indoor grass fields and weight room. The strength and conditioning sessions are structured for any athlete to become stronger, quicker, faster.

For the kids that attend these sessions they can expect to get in shape for whichever sport that they play, establish new relationships as well as get better. Parents of these young athletes can expect their children to be mentored and set on the right path.

Structure will be added to the lives of the adults that attend these sessions. For an athlete like Keita who has to balance establishing a career as well as reaching a dream, this can make it easier.

Donaldson will continue to run sport specific programs at Aviator starting with Football in the middle of 2012. Because this facility has access to hardwood courts as well as Ice rinks, Donaldson plans on expanding his sport specific programs to many different sports.

Until then, Neurokinetics continue to work on single athletes at a time. Ranging from baseball all the way to volleyball athletes.

Jessica Wu, 18 years old, from Cerritos, Calif. who is currently a CUNY Baruch College volleyball player became aware of Neurokinetics through a friend. Wu was very interested in working with a professional because they would know exactly what to do to make her better. “I need to gain more behind my movements so I can run faster, jump higher, and react quicker,” said Wu.

“I always wanted to learn [how to power clean],” said Wu. Power cleaning is a workout used by athletes to develop more strength and power. It is done with a barbell. The exercise helps the strength of your lower body muscles as well as back muscles, but the main benefit of power cleaning is to increase power and explosiveness. It is done in two movements, first starting with the barbell on the ground, to raising the bar to your knees, then exploding up to get the barbell over your shoulders.

As a volleyball player this movement proves very beneficial for Wu. Wu plans on working with a neurokinetics trainer bbin 2012 to supplement her game. She plans on improving on her stellar freshman season, and neurokinetics can become a large part of this.

A company like this cannot survive with passion and the right direction, which Donaldson has plenty of. He’s ready to go, he even trains as an athlete. In the middle of a ridiculous squat program that at the end will improve his maximum squat amount to 400 pounds, he admits that he has the competiveness of an athlete in addition to his knowledge as a trainer. This is something that he will pass on to everyone that works with him, and with this the company will continue to grow. With that, “The sky’s the limit,” said Donaldson.

It’s so bad for some people that they are sent into a panic if they are separated from their phones for even a few minutes.

“The Growing Addiction”

Giselle Burgos, 23, of Brooklyn, is obsessed.

She sleeps next to her iPhone and admits waking up during the night to check her messages and FACEBOOK notifications. In the morning even before brushing her teeth, she is talking and texting.

And if the phone goes missing as has happened on occasion?

“It had only been five minutes of me misplacing my phone and I was already freaking out,” she said.

Burgos is among a growing number of people who are so focused on following their emails, texts and Facebook pages on their smartphones that their attachment to the devices is reaching the level of addiction. Of the people interviewed for this article, most said they felt stressed or cut off from the world if they misplaced or forgot their iPhones. They all said separation from their smartphones caused a sense of not feeling complete and anxiety.

Jah-Milka McClean, 22, said not being able to update her status on Facebook is what drives her crazy. She said she prefers to have her phone by her side at all times.

“I have lost my iPhone and it was very frustrating process,” she said.  In the days that she was without an iPhone, she had to resort to a basic phone that did not have features such as a camera or advanced texting. The keypad had the three letter count which made it difficult for her to text and respond to emails, she said.

The increased dependence on smartphones has evolved as the selection of apps has expanded. Now consumers don’t need iPods, cameras, maps, and address books because all of that information is stored in their phones. Companies have created applications that do everything from tracking heart rates to guiding people through the streets of New York City.

Recently Apple released the iPhone 4S, which includes a voice controlled virtual assistant Siri, which is Apple’s most creative advancement to date. Apple’s advancements to the new generation of iPhones will only continue to increase and consumers will continue to crave more.

Social networking applications, such as Twitter and Facebook and game apps, have added to people’s addiction to their iPhones.  People even use their phone for daily tasks such as mobile banking and online shopping.  A recent high school graduate from Long Island did some interesting research. Michelle Hackman won a $75,000 prize in this year’s Intel Science Talent Search with research that investigated teens’ attachment to their smartphones. She found when they were separated from their phones, they were under-stimulated. The indicators showed they had a low heart rate and the inability to entertain themselves.

Continuously more people are becoming addicted, however if it is not controlled it may begin to have a negative impact on society and the ways it integrates itself. The iPhone was released in 2007 and ever since has been the most talked about smartphone consumer products ever. The frenzy and the thought of people interacting only with their iPhone instead of human beings possibly can become a troubling issue in America. However the question is can the addiction be controlled or will the new advancements, and the creation of the next generation of iPhones increase consumer’s addiction? Being addicted to smartphones can lead to a decrease of the ability to focus deeply, think creatively and productively.  Being fixated on checking text messages, playing games, checking emails can make an individual not want to engage in real life activities and can lead to real consequences in the future.

According to New York Magazine, a survey of 200 Stanford University students revealed that iPhone addictions are real. In fact many of the students were referring to the iPhone as their “little friend,” Professor Tanya Luhrmann, who conducted the study stated. “People worried about being addicted and creating an ‘iPhone widow,” she was quoted as saying. Students have become so attached to their phone that their addiction can be compared to a person being addicted to a drug. “When asked to rank their dependence on the iPhone, 10 percent of the students acknowledged full addiction to the device, 34 percent ranked themselves as a four on the scale, and only 6 percent said they weren’t addicted at all,” according to the article.

Applications and additional features that are provided by the iPhone definitely can change a person’s lifestyle. The different applications that have become available make it impossible for people to survive without their phone.  Andre Johnson, 24, stated, “One word to describe my phone would be my assistant”.  Johnsons’ iPhone knows more about him than his own family and friends. He even sleeps next to his phone and wakes up just to check his messages and notifications.

“The different applications on the iPhone allow people choices, there are apps that best fit an individual’s needs and personality, which make the iPhone so unique,” he said.

“My dad’s pretty ridiculous,” Schirripa said. “He has Looney Tunes tattoos. He has a Tasmanian Devil on his arm, and he wants to get Yosemite Sam on his leg. My mom’s okay with it as long as I don’t get covered in them.”

Schirripa’s story is an example of how tattoos, once considered a social stigma, are increasingly being accepted across generations and cultures. For many who choose to get inked, the act is no longer one of rebellion but rather a way to acknowledge a milestone in their lives with body art.

Schirripa said the tattoo he got that day, an emblem of the bass player symbol from Led Zepplin on his lower calf, was a way for him to remember a moment in his life when he was a part of a band that almost got signed by Sid Bernstein, the man responsible for bringing The Beatles to the United States.

In recent years, the tattoo industry has received somewhat of a face life. Tattoos were once regarded as solely for sailors, convicts, gang members, but that is no longer the case.

Currently, nearly 45 million people in the United States have tattoos, according to a report by the Food and Drug Administration.

“More people at different levels in society are getting tattoos,” said Mike Martin, president of the Alliance of Professional Artists and Tattooist.

“It’s not uncommon to tattoo a doctor, lawyer, or high ranking military individuals. Society is become more accepting of tattoos because people from different levels are getting them which helps break down barriers.”

The Alliance of Professional Tattooists is a Missouri based non-profit organization, which began in 1992, aimed at educating artists of health codes, and importance of sterilization, and immunizations.

When Pierre Riddle, a Baruch College student, told his parents about getting his first tattoo they were both against it.

“I told them because I didn’t want to get kicked out of the house when I got it,” Riddle said. “My dad started to tell me about all the health hazards related to getting a tattoo. My mom said, ‘Don’t do something that stupid.’”

In African American culture tattoos have a bad reputation, but to Riddle it was a great way of expressing art and personal beliefs.

“They do have a bad stigma,” Riddle said. “They’re usually associated with criminals, then when athletes get them they’re associated with athletes, but then athletes are looked at as criminals.”

After Riddle got a tattoo that symbolizes the quote, “I rise each morning torn between saving the world, and savoring the world, and that makes it hard to plan a day.” He showed his mom who happened to like the tattoo. His dad never asked to see it, or acknowledged it afterwards.

Tattooists became an underground craft when it became illegal in New York City in 1961. They operated out of apartments on Canal Street, basements, and backrooms. This gave the industry a sleazy image linked with unsanitary conditions, and grouchy meathead tattooists.

An evolution began in the tattoo world when the craft became legal in 1997. The backrooms of tattoo parlors began to resemble medical offices due to the advanced equipment and safety minded procedures.

“It’s an evolution of our art,” Martin said. “It’s not stagnant. It’s evolving all the time. The better the field becomes, the more competitive it becomes. The game has stepped up a lot over the years.”

The media has certainly helped to shed more light on the tattoo industry with television shows such as ‘NY Ink”, “LA Ink”, and “Miami Ink” on the TLC network. From these shows audiences saw that tattoo parlors were not places to be feared, they were not a dirty places with grouchy people and bikers.

“These shows knock barriers down, and lift this veil of uncertainty,” Martin said. “It shows that people aren’t going to die [from entering a tattoo parlor].”

People who are contemplating whether or not getting inked are encouraged to take their time and to do as much research as possible.

“Know what to look for when you go in to a tattoo shop,” Martin said. “Look at the artist’s portfolios, talk to them, know the type of work they do, and pick up on chemistry and attitudes. If person is excited and motivated to do the work for you, and they motivate you then you have found a good working relationship.”

Kneeling beside a small broom on the ground of Norman’s Landing in Central Park, 17-year-old Jane Jacoby closed her eyes and waited for something.

Beside her waited six others, and yards across from them, another seven. Moments later, “Brooms up!” someone in the middle of the pitch shouted, and Jacoby’s eyes shot open. She and the others surged forward, straddling the brooms between their legs.

A beater on the New York Badassilisks–one of 95 teams that competed in the Fifth Annual International Quidditch Association Quidditch World Cup in Randall’s Island, New York, on Nov. 12 and 13–Jacoby was preparing to win.

“I know that we’re gonna do really well and I’m so excited,” she said from the sidelines.

Adapted by the IQA from the fictional sport made famous by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and the films based on them, namely Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the IQA Quidditch World Cup was the ultimate Harry Potter experience and celebration of fandom for these 95 teams and more than 1,200 spectators. But it was also considered just as serious as any other tournament. Preparation was key.

Running practice drills and scrimmages at Central Park nearly every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening since September, the team had been training for the Cup with their tournament 21, a group of 10 women and 11 men. Every play and player had to abide by the standard rules of the IQA, which also keeps track of more than 300 Quidditch teams registered with it from all over the globe.

From the page to the pitch

The New York Badassilisks line up to compete against Hendrix College in the 5th Annual Quidditch World Cup.

Often described as an amalgamation of rugby, lacrosse, basketball and dodge ball, IQA Quidditch is a more aggressive contact sport. Body checking and tackling is allowed. But each team still has two beaters who use dodge balls as bludgers to bump and dismount players from their brooms, three chasers who use volleyballs as quaffles to score points through three hula-hoop goal posts and a keeper who mans the goals posts.  The seeker remains in charge of grabbing the snitch, called a “snitch snatch,” to end the game with 30 additional points, instead of the novel’s 150, at the most opportune moment.

In the 2010 World Cup, excellent play and snitch snatches combined led the Badassilisks to come in 14th out of 46. It was a monumental feat for the team that had just formed that year when members of The Group That Shall Not Be Named, the largest New York-based Harry Potter fan club with close to1,000 members, decided to create their own team to support. But with more established teams playing this year, the competition was greater. Yet, Head Coach Jared Rohrer, 35, wasn’t immediately concerned. Even with a ripe crop of new players recruited just this summer, he was hopeful.

“My team’s actually pretty good,” he said prior to the Cup. “My new players are good. They’re fast, they score well, and they move well.” In fact, his team advanced to the semi-finals and unofficially came in fourth place in this year’s competition.

Competitive by nature, Rohrer takes the sport highly seriously. Still, his philosophy is to play hard but always have fun.

“The one thing I remind them of is that we’re playing Quidditch,” he said. “That’s just a great thing by itself.”

Contrasting most sports merely by requiring a playing field for both sexes, which IQA Chief Operations Officer Alicia Radford, 22, feels teaches men and women to respect each other on and off the pitch, Quidditch also welcomes all personality types, athletic or otherwise.

“Quidditch is a very inclusive game and has a way of drawing in a lot of people who have never been athletes before,” said Radford.

Beater Caitlin Dean, 27, considered herself highly un-athletic before joining the Badassilisks. Having learned about the team through the The Group That Shall Not Be Named, she joined because she felt it would offer her much needed physical release and an activity she could genuinely enjoy.

“Being a part of the team that plays something so ridiculous and aggressive and dangerous and fun and silly all at the same time,” she said, “I felt that would change my life.”

Nearly all the Badassalisks share that sentiment. Their ages even range from 14 to 44. And while most Quidditch teams are associated with universities, the Badassilisks come from all over the tri-state area. A common love of Harry Potter is the one constant. The “muggle” (human) adaptation of the game even stays extremely close to the magical one. The major difference: No one levitates.

While players cannot fly on brooms, the IQA does require team members to straddle them, making play more difficult and rigorous. There is also no walnut sized, golden snitch with wings. Instead, an impartial snitch runner dressed in bright yellow dangles a sock carrying a tennis ball from the back of his or her shorts. And seeking the snitch is no easy task as the snitch runner alone can play sans broom. The seeker must scavenge the pitch on a broom while the snitch roams around freely.

Spectators, tourists and joggers at Central Park took notice. One asked, “Is this like a Quidditch?”

“Not like Quidditch,” said snitch runner, Ryan Blaney, 23, “It is Quidditch.”

An official snitch runner for the World Cup, Blaney, a United States Marine and former Geneseo College Quidditch player, was lending his services to the team at Central Park to help sharpen their game before the tournament.

According to Blaney, “Snitches are allowed to get away with anything short of breaking the law, just so long as [players] don’t get hurt.”

He’s gone so far as taking piggy-back rides from players to throwing mud in their faces in order to distract them from catching the snitch. So practice with a seasoned snitch runner like him was essential. A week later, the Badassilisks’ efforts showed.

Brooms Up!

Two teammates practice playing Quidditch at Norman's Landing, Central Park

In the Badassilisks’ first game against Hendrix College, the team triumphed 140 to 30. Seeker Eddie Rocco, 27, caught the snitch in a dive and acrobatic tumble along the pitch to thunderous applause from his team in emerald green with snakes on their jerseys. The green streak lasted for five games straight. The Badassilisks went on to beat Carnegie Mellon University, with 40 to 30, Rochester Institute of Technology, with 100 to 60, Ryerson University, with 100 to 20, and SUNY Fredonia in the quarter final, with 130 to 60.

The venom ran out when the Badassilisks’ lost 60 to 140 in a semifinal match against Purdue University Sunday evening, and the entire team took it to heart. Playing their hardest, with gritty stains lining their uniforms, the team was a force to be reckoned as it often successfully blocked the other team’s players from scoring. Unfortunately Purdue retained a lead and the Badassilisks bit the dust.

However, Assistant Coach and World Cup Referree Chris Berdoz, 36, was most impressed by the team’s performance during what became its last flight.

“Our team’s defense is phenomenal when backed into a corner, and with a few things being slightly different, that game could have ended up in our favor easily,” he said.

With that said, many felt the Badassilisks journey was a great success despite the loss. The team whose supporters included dozens of fan club spectators, a woman dressed from head to toe as Harry Potter villainess Bellatrix Lestrange in black dress robes with visible stitches on her fitted bodice and nightmarish, jet black hair, and a makeshift mascot of another woman wearing fangs and a green sequined gown cascading down the grass to appear like the Badassilisk serpant, exited the Quidditch World Cup division 2 playoffs at number 4. That was quite the win by their standards.

Looking back at the journey, Jacoby agreed that her team had emerged champions either way.

“Im extremely proud of us. We really came together, and worked hard,” she said. “The end was a little disappointing, but the farther I get from it, the better I feel about our performance.”

“It took me about 10 years later before I even came out and felt comfortable in the church within my own skin,” said Kirton. “But Maranatha helped foster that and support me in that coming out process.”

Maranatha is one of a growing number of programs created by churches in New York City to provide a welcoming home for openly gay, lesbian and transgender Christians, defying a tradition in many houses of worship that shuns homosexuality.

Through its LGBT ministry, the Riverside Church focuses on the needs of its gay members by hosting events like the Annual Christmas Party, and participating in the New York City Pride Parade each year. By preaching a message of inclusion for all, churches like Riverside also help its gay members to feel that they are a part of God’s family, though many of them have heard the complete opposite for much of their lives.

AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Gay Couple Talk About Their Experience at The Riverside Church

At The Park Avenue Christian Church on the corner of 85th Street and Park Avenue, the message of the day is diversity. It’s posted by the signature bright red doors at the church’s entrance and on almost all the printed materials they hand out, from a brochure for the Couples Ministry to an introductory pamphlet for new members.

“A phrase that we like to use is the ‘divinity of difference,’ that difference is not a deficit or deficiency, but it’s to be celebrated and embraced,” said Rev. Alvin Jackson, the current pastor of the church.

The Park, as it is often called, was one of the first churches in The Disciples of Christ denomination to call an openly gay pastor to service, according to Jackson. And in the late ’70s, the church passed a resolution that it would be open and affirming to all people, regardless of their sexual orientation.

“It’s not a matter of political correctness, but it’s theological correctness,” said Jackson, whose church has gay members in both the congregation and leadership positions, and has performed several weddings.

Metro Baptist Church in midtown Manhattan has not married any same-sex couples, but pastor Tiffany Triplett Henkel said this is not because they are unwilling to do so, but because their space is so small and the church doesn’t do a lot of weddings in general.

“I don’t think there has ever been a time when someone of any sexual background or sexual orientation would not have been welcome and affirmed here,” said Henkel. “But I think in the early ’90s, we became a little bit more intentional about presenting ourselves in that way, and even more than that, more intentional about saying ‘OK, we say we’re a church where all are welcome, we need to practice that in every way we can.’”

With that, Metro has taken several small steps toward promoting an image of openness. It has joined the growing number of churches that participate in the New York City Pride Parade each year, and there are gay members in the congregation and in leadership positions, according to Henkel.

“Our policy is that we are open to all, ‘a church for all’ is sort of the phrase that we use often times,” said Henkel. “Metro Baptist church, a church where all are welcome.”

Metro is in the minority of Baptist churches that do not condemn homosexuality. Visitors from Baptist churches from the South, for example, where the view of homosexuality is traditionally more conservative, sometimes question the church’s practices.

“This is the way that we understand what it means to be people of God, people living out the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is that our doors are supposed to be open and that we fully believe that those that walk through the door are created by God,” said Henkel. “And instead of trying to squelch them or change them in any way, we believe that we should actually encourage them to be more of who they are.”

Other churches see the issue as one that doesn’t need discussion.

“Honestly it’s just not even a dialogue,” said Mother Shelley McDade, pastor at the Church of the Ascension at West 11th Street. “We all know that we are open, it’s who we are, so coming together it really is much more about God and the music and worship. We just don’t segregate people out.”

There are no special committees or programming at the church, where more than half the congregation is gay, lesbian or transsexual, according to McDade.

Church of the Ascension, which was once called The Open Door, is part of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, which does not allow its bishops to perform same-sex marriages. But bishops can “bless” civil marriages, meaning they can hold a ceremony after the marriage has been performed by a government official.

Tricia Sheffield, an associate minister at Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village, remembers when the New York State Marriage Equality Act passed this summer.

“I thought we were all going to cry and laugh and scream. It was fantastic,” said Sheffield, whose church had been marrying gay couples long before the law passed, and had invested a lot of time and effort lobbying in support of the law. The week after it passed, three couples got married during Sunday service, drawing cheers from the entire congregation.

A thin strip of paper pasted on a bookshelf in Sheffield’s office reads, “You’ve been called by God to love people. That’s all,” giving insight into why the church supports people of all backgrounds and interests.

“I think it’s pretty clear,” said Sheffield. “How could we reject anybody? When you say you’re going to hurt someone, and to hate someone, and to reject someone, then you’re not living out the gospel of Jesus.”

It’s this kind of diversity and acceptance without distinction that Kirton, who met her wife at a routine Second Sunday meeting, appreciates most at Riverside.

“They’re accepting everyone, and when they said everyone, it meant that I could come in as a gay person and there’s no sign on my forehead,” said Kirton.

VIDEO: Church for LGBT members

Arianna, the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, has cerebral palsy. It is an umbrella term, incorporating a group of non-progressive and non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, mainly in the various areas of body movement.

She lives with her mother and extended family in a three-bedroom house in Woodside, Queens, and loves to play with her cousins when they visit every other weekend. Much of her day, outside of school, is spent inside the house. She passes her time, with no friends or playmates, playing games on her computer and watching cartoons.

“I know that my daughter will never be like all the regular children. It took me years to accept that reality. She is still my little champion,” said Shaheen Jamil, 42. “She works much harder to achieve the little things that others can do easily. I will never give up on her.”

Jamil, a single mother, immigrated to the United States from her native Bangladesh in 2001. Her daughter was born the same year. She does not speak English fluently and often struggles to communicate with Arianna’s teachers and doctors. Despite the challenges, she tries her best to provide her daughter with everything she needs to improve the quality of her life.

She had a difficult marriage and left her husband a year earlier to move in with her older sister. Finding work has been challenging but some government aid and financial support from family members along with a part-time job at a local pizzeria have improved her situation slightly. She is optimistic despite the challenges ahead.

“It is difficult for me because I do not speak English well. I used to work for a bank in Bangladesh but my experience and degree has little value here,” she said. “I need the money so will work anywhere at the moment but hopefully things will improve with time and patience.”

Cerebral palsy is not classified as a disease. It is a condition caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development but can also happen before, during or shortly after birth including infancy and early childhood.

The United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation estimates between 1.5 and 2 million children and adults have cerebral palsy in the United States. Furthermore 10,000 babies and infants are diagnosed with cerebral palsy annually.

There is currently no known cure for the condition but improving technological innovations and therapies can help improve muscle function and coordination in people with cerebral palsy. Physical therapy at home, during an early age, has been beneficial for increasing numbers of children with special needs.

“I worked with Arianna from age 1-3 for Early Intervention.  At that time she received physical, occupational and speech therapy.  Early Intervention is a critical time to receive therapy.  This is the time when the brain is the most malleable,” said Silvia Vaher, a physical therapist, who is currently working for the New York City public school system.

Vaher, 47, also works with children under the age of 3 as part of the Early Intervention program. “Arianna must have been about a year old at the time.  She responded very well to the handling.  PT (physical therapy) focus was to improve her strength, ROM (Range of Motion) and lower extremity dissociation so she could be as independent as possible,” she said.

“Arianna’s mother was also integral to the treatment as she followed through with going to the doctor and obtaining for her the AFO’s (Ankle Foot Orthoses) braces that she needed for her ankles.  These braces were very important for her to wear as she needs them to maintain her ankle ROM.”

Increasing social awareness and enhancement of treatment options have made significant contributions in improving the quality of life for people with cerebral palsy. The recent addition of CA Technologies Rehabilitation Center at the Hospital of Special Surgery, located on the Upper East Side, is one such example.

The 7,000 square foot, high-tech center, is designed to improve access to pediatric rehabilitation services for surgical patients and children who need outpatient therapy. The department is equipped with a physical therapy gym, therapy rooms for fine motor skills, rooms for speech and occupational therapy and quiet areas for children with sensory needs. Additionally, there is an equipment clinic focusing in wheelchair and mobility needs and a full collection of virtual reality toys and software to be used in therapy.

“The hospital has a lot of clinics, physicians and therapists who specialize in seeing patients with cerebral palsy,” said Magdalena Oledzka, 41, a physical therapist and the Pediatric Section Manager of the CA Technologies Rehabilitation Department. “We have a motion analysis lab, where they are seen for their gait analysis, which helps the doctors to make decisions.”

Arianna has been fortunate to receive treatment from an early age. Therapists regularly came to her house to work on her motor skills and physical movement. She attends a school for children with special needs and regularly visits her doctors for treatment and medicine. She still has problems with her posture and her ability to speak clearly.

Jamil helps her daughter to brush her teeth and take a shower. They spend their nights, doing homework and watching cartoons on their little archaic television. She is thankful that Arianna is improving and becoming more independent with each passing day.

“I am worried about her future. I have been since she was born just like any other mother. I don’t know what life has in store for her. All I know is that I will always be there for her so that she can make the most of her life and create her own beautiful world.”

“Music is the biggest weapon we have in the protests,” Baruch student and Wall Street Protester Eliza Vamos said. “If the 1960’s taught us anything, it’s that music isn’t just music. It is a megaphone for the people’s opinion and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it.”

Artists like Bob Dylan and John Lennon used their music like megaphones to broadcast their messages of anti-war during a time in American history when people were beginning to question the intentions of the government in Vietnam. These songs and countless others inspired a generation to take to the streets and get their opinions recognized and they are holding the same influence for the Occupy protests.

“It took us a little bit as a generation to realize it, but we are basically protesting the same thing that people were protesting in the Vietnam War era. It’s a trust issue,” NYU Student Jeff Scott said. “I think we are planning on using that to our advantage. It’s like hey, you protested the same things when you were our age that you are opposing now.”

Podcast: Young Musicians Finding Inspiration in Lennon’s Music

Multimedia: Occupy protesters Matt and Caterina talk about the power of music, and how John Lennon has influenced their music.

The protest music through the 1960’s and 70’s were important because they were highly portrayed in mainstream mediums such as radio and television. That trend is only beginning to unfold for Occupy Wall Street as artists such as Russell Simmons, Rufus Wainwright, and even Lennon’s son Sean have come out to show their support for the protests.

“The protest music of the 1960’s really helps me figure out how I feel about the Occupied protests. It really is a lost art,”  said Baruch student and Occupy supporter Rudy Garcia. “The parallels between the questioning of power of the government in the 1970’s and the modern protests is just mind blowing to me.”

The Occupy protests started out as a group of people upset with the increasing gap between the wealthy and the middle class. As the movement became more popular, other smaller interest groups began clinging on to the protests making the movement a conglomerate of interests that all have one theme in common, they are unhappy with the direction of the country. With protesting going into its third month, the Occupy Wall Street protests are becoming one of the largest and longest protests in New York City history.

“John Lennon was all about peace. He was totally against violence of any kind and he wrote about that in his songs,” City College student and John Lennon fan Paul Narducci said. “That music is the voice of a generation that has been through it, and survived it.”

The showroom, which houses thousands of dresses, shoes and accessories, is a mecca for the fashion savvy. The library owns pieces worn by celebrities ranging from Madonna (remember that Jean Paul Gaultier Cone Bustier from her Blond Ambition Tour) to Sex and the City Star Sarah Jessica Parker to Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel.

Fashion rentals started with stylists who needed to pull clothing for photo, television and film shoots. Showrooms such as Albright came about as a sort of middle ground between the stylists and the fashion houses—they now had access to multiple designers all in one place. Originally just serving the entertainment industry, the showroom is now open to the general public and has been since the late 1990’s.

In today’s economy, a showroom like this has become essential for New York women. “The recession has really created a public demand for fashion rental showrooms. People don’t have the means to be spending thousands of dollars on clothing,” Irene Albright, founder of Albright Fashion Library, said of the sudden emergence of similar showrooms.

Indeed, many companies focusing on clothing rentals have opened not only in New York, but also in other parts of the country. People who normally wouldn’t be able to afford these high-end designs now have the chance to wear fabulous clothing without emptying their bank accounts. “As a twenty-something New Yorker, I have a lot of events to attend. It’s impossible to afford different looks for everything. At Albright, I can rent an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress, for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy it,” customer Julie Mulligan said.

Consultations at Albright begin at $250 and rentals, including the clothes, shoes, bag and other accessories, as well as dry-cleaning of the garments, run $1,000 per week.

Virtual showrooms such as New York-based renttherunway.com are another means of renting designer fashions. Every woman one time or another has felt the “I have nothing to wear moment.” Now, with the simple click of a button, women have access to designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. This experience is one of online convenience—a woman can rent a Herve Leger dress, which retails for $1600, for just $150 and have it delivered the following day. Joining a virtual showroom such as renttherunway.com is simple—women can register and become a member of the site for free. To start, all a member has to do is enter the date that she would like to wear the dress on, enter her size specifications and shipping zip code and a list of available dresses will be constructed.
Additionally, members get a backup size for free, as well as a second dress option for just $25 more. This site is designed to help women who may have been contemplating purchasing a certain item the chance to wear that item at significantly less than the retail value.

Julie Mulligan, a 28- year-old architect who lives in Tribeca, got a chance to browse the racks at Albright, which were filled with thousands of shoes, ranging from Christian Louboutin, to Manolo Blahnik to Yves Saint Laurent, as well as the dresses, which are all arranged in alphabetical order by designer. One can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy store—much the way one would if entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. “I walked in really excited about getting to try on all these different looks and was not disappointed. By the end, I felt like a princess,” Ms. Mulligan said of her experience. Feeling like a princess does come at a price. Rental fees may be steep, but just remember—you may be renting a $10,000 Marchesa gown, with $1,500 Jimmy Choo strappy sandals and a $2,000 Balenciaga clutch all for a tenth of the price of the gown. “If you saw Mila Kunis or Olivia Wilde in a dress that you absolutely fell in love with and had an occasion to wear it to, we could facilitate that dream for you,” Marina Albright said of the experience.

After trying on many different outfits, Ms. Mulligan opted for a short, strapless Marchesa lace cocktail dress, Christian Louboutin black patent leather pumps, a Helmut Lang black coat and a Michael Kors clutch. “I am so happy with the look I chose. It has a very New York edge to it, while still being elegant. I also can wear some of the different items throughout the week, before I have to return everything. Overall, I had an amazing experience and will definitely be a return client.”

Fashion rentals started with stylists who needed to pull clothing for photo, television and film shoots. Showrooms such as Albright came about as a sort of middle ground between the stylists and the fashion houses—they now had access to multiple designers all in one place. Originally just serving the entertainment industry, the showroom is now open to the general public and has been since the late 1990’s.

In today’s economy, a showroom like this has become essential for New York women. “The recession has really created a public demand for fashion rental showrooms. People don’t have the means to be spending thousands of dollars on clothing,” Irene Albright, founder of Albright Fashion Library, said of the sudden emergence of similar showrooms.

Indeed, many companies focusing on clothing rentals have opened not only in New York, but also in other parts of the country. People who normally wouldn’t be able to afford these high-end designs now have the chance to wear fabulous clothing without emptying their bank accounts. “As a twenty-something New Yorker, I have a lot of events to attend. It’s impossible to afford different looks for everything. At Albright, I can rent an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress, for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy it,” customer Julie Mulligan said.
Consultations at Albright begin at $250 and rentals, including the clothes, shoes, bag and other accessories, as well as dry-cleaning of the garments, run $1,000 per week.
Virtual showrooms such as New York-based renttherunway.com are another means of renting designer fashions. Every woman one time or another has felt the “I have nothing to wear moment.” Now, with the simple click of a button, women have access to designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price.
This experience is one of online convenience—a woman can rent a Herve Leger dress, which retails for $1600, for just $150 and have it delivered the following day. Joining a virtual showroom such as renttherunway.com is simple—women can register and become a member of the site for free. To start, all a member has to do is enter the date that she would like to wear the dress on, enter her size specifications and shipping zip code and a list of available dresses will be constructed.
Additionally, members get a backup size for free, as well as a second dress option for just $25 more. This site is designed to help women who may have been contemplating purchasing a certain item the chance to wear that item at significantly less than the retail value.
Julie Mulligan, a 28- year-old architect who lives in Tribeca, got a chance to browse the racks at Albright, which were filled with thousands of shoes, ranging from Christian Louboutin, to Manolo Blahnik to Yves Saint Laurent, as well as the dresses, which are all arranged in alphabetical order by designer. One can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy store—much the way one would if entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. “I walked in really excited about getting to try on all these different looks and was not disappointed,” “By the end, I felt like a princess.,” Ms. Mulligan said of her experience. Feeling like a princess does come at a price. Rental fees may be steep, but just remember—you may be renting a $10,000 Marchesa gown, with $1,500 Jimmy Choo strappy sandals and a $2,000 Balenciaga clutch all for a tenth of the price of the gown. “If you saw Mila Kunis or Olivia Wilde in a dress that you absolutely fell in love with and had an occasion to wear it to, we could facilitate that dream for you,” Marina Albright said of the experience.
After trying on many different outfits, Ms. Mulligan opted for a short, strapless Marchesa lace cocktail dress, Christian Louboutin black patent leather pumps, a Helmut Lang black coat and a Michael Kors clutch. “I am so happy with the look I chose. It has a very New York edge to it, while still being elegant. I also can wear some of the different items throughout the week, before I have to return everything. Overall, I had an amazing experience and will definitely be a return client.”

On a recent Sunday morning, Katie Featheridge browsed the stands at the farmer’s market in the plaza outside Brooklyn Borough Hall where she shops for organically-grown produce.

‘I have been coming to this market for as long as I could remember, they have never disappointed me,” Featheridge said. “The food is always fresh, vibrant. The people are always so helpful and enthusiastic.’

Featheridge is one of a growing number of New Yorkers who are committed to eating organically and who are turning to farmer’s markets to be sure that the food they are buying meets organic standards. Confusing labels on grocery store products and complicated language on the definition of organic produce often make it difficult for consumers to know they are actually getting organically-grown and raised food.

“Young mothers who want to provide their children with healthy food, now have the opportunity to do so at the farmer’s market,” said Nisha Ramirez, a young mother, who shops and cooks organic food for her family.

Farmer’s markets have made it affordable as well as accessible for New Yorkers to shop there because people now can buy their groceries via electronic benefit transfer (Ebt) and women, infant and children (Wic) checks.

People’s interest in eating organically has increased as they became more conscious of the things they ingest. In an era where technology is developing at high speeds, the threat of new disease seems to be on the rise as well. People are looking at different venues for increasing healthier lives.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, ‘Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewerage sludge, bioengineering or ionization of radiation.’

For a farmer to get his or her land certified as property that produces organic food, it has to undergo specific testing as well as meet certain criteria that can take up to multiple years.

Julia Trunzo, an organic farmer who was selling produce at the downtown Brooklyn market, explained how she got into organic farming ‘As a farmer and working in the field, I do not want to be surrounded by the harsh chemicals that people use when they use fertilizers so I chose to farm organic, because I want to live a healthier lifestyle,” Trunzo said. “So I sell organic food to individuals who also want to live that way.”

Ms. Trunzo, whose farm is in upstate New York, has been producing organic products for the past 10 years. She has been selling her products to communities in New York, Westchester County and areas of New Jersey.

People seem to gravitate toward farmers market for their unique way of selling and they are very informative.

Staff members at the farmers market seem to have different ways of informing those who want to learn about the products they buy. They establish friendly relationships with loyal customers. They are willing to educate people about the foods they sell.

People can get easily misled by the way things are worded, labeled as well as packaged. Some places might sell things that say they are natural and organic, but the origins of the foods would be grown and processed right next to an industrial plant/factory. At farmers markets, the farmers can vouch for where the food was grown, how they grew their products.

‘You can have them side by side and not really tell the difference. As a farmer you can grow organic foods properly or not,” said Eddie Taverez, who is an organic wheat seller.

Stated by the United States Department of Agriculture, ‘TO be 100% organic food must contain all organic ingredients except added water and salt.’ It is imperative that people know the differences between the organic groceries they buy. If they choose not to buy from farmers market, they should inquire at the local food store where the food is growing, and under what conditions it is grown.

The only misconception that one might incur is that there is no sure way to know when eating organic food; it does not have a particular taste. Organic food will cost you more, but take into consideration that it takes much more to grow organic food.

When paying for foods that do not contain harsh chemicals, you wind up saving a lot. No matter what the reason is for eating organically knowledge about what you eat is everlasting. Be it a college student, a young mother, or a precautious dieter, organic food is a healthier way of living.

By Andrea Kayda  

When Tommy Bracco was seven years old, he asked his aunt which career made the most money. She replied, “If you’re successful, an actor.” Little did his aunt know at the time, but those words would stick with him for the rest of his life.

Bracco is now a 21-year-old “triple threat”—an actor, singer and dancer—reveling in the success of his latest show, “Newsies,” which was recently picked up for a three-month run on Broadway.

Bracco’s path was not the traditional one. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia Performing Arts High School for drama and was accepted into Marymount Manhattan College. After one semester, he dropped out. His course work wasn’t too demanding and he wasn’t discouraged by the hour-long commute from his home in Tottenville, Staten Island…he decided to follow his dream.

“College will always be there. The ability to dance and tumble will not. I took a leap of faith and jumped into the world of auditioning,” he said.

The grim economy facing young adults combined with a growing loan burden makes following ones dreams not as risky as it once was. While individuals with higher levels of education earn more and are more likely than others to be employed, according to 2010 Bureau of Labor statistics, some, like Bracco, have begun to reevaluate the risk in foregoing college in pursuit of an endeavor that doesn’t require a degree.

Just recently Forbes Magazine and the Center for College Affordability & Productivity released a list of America’s most expensive colleges, using data from the National Center for Education. Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers topped the list at $58,334 (including room and board) per year, followed by University of Chicago at $57,590 and The New School at $57,199.

But private universities aren’t the only institutions raising tuitions; public university tuitions have also seen a swell of almost 130 percent, according to the College Board.

The rising tuition costs have, since 1988, been exceeding Americans’ incomes, according to latest IRS data. And while tuitions have increased, even at public universities, middle class incomes have stagnated. In order to afford the exorbitant price tags, many students resort to taking out student loans. According to FinAid.org, about two thirds of students graduating with four-year degrees did so with loans averaging $23,186.

Unlike Bracco who left college behind, others are adding degrees as they try to ride out the bad economy.

Michael Tylutki, 25, from Franklin Square, Long Island, is in his second year of law school at Touro Law. In 2010 he graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he accumulated approximately $40,000 in student loans, with a B.S. in Finance. After moving back to New York, he applied to law school. “I knew the job market was horrible, so instead of sitting around and trying to find a job that wasn’t really there or take a job I didn’t want, I decided to go right back to school,” he said.

His J.D. will cost him another $120,000 ($40,000/year) making his total debt after graduation approximately $160,000. “It’s not a great feeling knowing I have all this debt, but it’s something that is so common nowadays and something I had to take on in order to do what I wanted with my life. Just about all of my friends at school are in the same position so it’s not too bad, and they have all these kinds of pay-back programs so all in all, I think I made the right decision,” he said.

Among adults ages 18 to 34 who are not in school and do not have a bachelor’s degree, some 57 percent say they would rather work and make money and 48 percent say they simply can’t afford it, according to a 2011 report from the Pew Research Center.

But with college enrollment levels steadily increasing and growths projected as far as year 2020, many still consider attaining a degree to be the wisest choice.

In 2009, the College Board conducted a studentPOLL study, a random national sample of high school seniors who registered and/or took the SAT, to understand the effects of the recession on the financial circumstances and college plans of high school seniors and families. The study found that the recession is having a considerable impact on two-thirds of these students and their families.

Results also suggest several expected shifts: more students will start to choose public institutions and communality colleges; more will live at home and commute to college; and more will work part-time to pay for college.

Many, like Joseph, are willing to accept the financial hardships that college necessitates, expecting the money to come back to them in the long run. It was once reported that a college degree was worth $1 million, but according to the Wall Street Journal and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the net value of a U.S. college degree is now about $325,000.

And another College Board Trend Report, Education Pays 2010, found that by age 33—after 11 years of work—higher earnings compensate for not only four years out of the labor force, but also for average tuition and fee payments at a public four-year university funded fully by student loans.

But for now, Bracco is leaving his options open: “I plan on following the path that my heart, my dreams and my head take me on. Eventually I will have to hang up my dancing shoes, but that won’t stop me from being a character actor in shows. I can open a student. I can go into casting. I can choreograph. I can even go to college! I don’t have a set plan but any one of those seem fulfilling to me.”

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You’re sitting in a circle surrounded with anywhere from 20 to 30 people. Each person is situated with their own five foot wide space where they have laid out their yoga mat and on top of that, however many pillows and blankets they please. You’re doing the best to get comfortable as you mentally prepare for the next 10 hours ahead of you. None of which will include sleep. You have been fasting all day, and have been advised to follow an essential diet for the past two weeks. And up until you put that cup to your mouth, filled half way with an odd smelling, thick black slush, the scenario looks pretty innocent. The rest of the night you will have completely lost yourself, in the quest of trying to find yourself and trying to heal yourself. Icaros, spiritual traditional songs, also referred to as, “Songs of Heaven,” float through the background, as the shaman occasionally plays a jewharp and some acoustic guitar. You can hear people around you laughing, crying, moving, and some reaching for the buckets that have been placed before them, and with a loud release, purging violently. Purging, because they need to get clean. Purging, for sake of healing.

The experience explained above, may, to some, sound like one hell of a gamble. And it is. This black slush is known as Ayahuasca, a sacred plant medicine. The ayahuasca experience is wild ride in which one finds themselves deeply exploring their own minds and the universe we all live in. While it has been primarily a South American indigenous tradition for hundreds, possibly thousands of years, modern day people, like these native New Yorkers, have become curious, and have put their lips to the cup.

Ayahuasca is made by brewing the ayahuasca vine with chacruna leaves.

Mason Lacas says that, “I heard about DMT and I wasn’t so interested in the short three minute jolt that DMT sometimes offers when you smoke it. I was interested in the ceremony, being able to ingest it with others, meeting a shaman, and going through the whole process and really having time to focus in on myself, rather then just a quick rush. Ayahuasca was a way for me to reconnect with myself and with my mother earth.”

Ayahuasca is a vine that grows deep in the jungles of the Amazon. It is a hallucinogen containing the DMT molecule. While not to undermine any other psychedelics, for all of them are known to help an individual gain an enormous amount of introspection, ayahuasca is particularly unique and stands out due to it’s traditional ceremonial process. Ceremonies are led by shamans or “ayahuasceros” who have worked extensively with the medicine. People gather and sit in a circle as the shaman guides them through their experience by first introducing the medicine and it’s abilities.

I spoke with James Riverstone, who has studied shamanism for 13 years and has assisted shamans in various ceremonies. He explains that, “Drinking this healing herb is a powerful modality and is to be only ever ingested in the presence of a trained shaman called an “Ayahuasquero.” It is held in a ceremony demanding the highest level of respect. Ayahuasca allows entry into the matrix of Creation which is a very powerful thing. This experience requires a guide to navigate the conduit of this matrix.”

The ayahuasca experience is commonly referred to as “The Purge,” because of it’s purgative abilities. A very specific diet needs to be followed before one can partake in ceremony. The body must be cleansed and people are told to follow an alkaline-diet, and to refrain from processed foods, meat, sex, alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drug use. Aside from whatever intention a person sets for themselves, and what it is that they would like to gain from their experience, this process is all about detox. And that means detox of toxins from the body as well detox of accumulated emotions that may be wearing the person down psychologically. James Riverstone states that, “One of the greatest side effects of drinking this medicine is the fact that it induces purging of unwanted ideas in the body. Releasing or vomiting these energies is what can truly heal the body, mind and spirit. What comes out can be attachments to beliefs, fears and concerns in their life, as well as cancers and disease.”

Andrew Stephen Pratt, a native New Yorker, spent a month in Peru and drank the sacred brew seven times. He explained that he’s heard some people refer to ayahuasca as being “almost like seven years of psychotherapy.” It shows one, and amplifies for them, the reality of their experiences and the emotional implications they carry.

In the past few years it has been clear that people are more desiring of alternative healing and are seeking to “go deeper” with their understanding and/or perception of life. This has been seen within the past ten years, with something so simple as fast food restaurants beginning to offer salads on their menus to the growth of people who began to show more interest in things such as yoga and meditation.

In an article titled “Yoga Teaching Increasingly Popular as Second Career,” by Alexis Grant, it was found that “about 14.3 million people in the United States practiced yoga in 2010, up from 4.3 million in 2001.” In that same article, Bill Harper, publisher of Yoga Journal, a magazine filled a plethora of uplifting and insightful advice for mental and physical health, explained that “the magazine’s circulation has increased 300 percent since 2002, a time when most print publications have shrunk.”

Of course these examples are only a select few, but all it takes is for one to simply look around. This “spiritual revolution,” as some may call it, may have something to do with 2012 because the idea of the Mayan end date has left some people curious regarding what the coming times will bring. Authors such as Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and Ester & Jerry Hicks, amongst others, all bring up this topic of spirituality. The book and documentary “The Secret” has also sparked a lot of interest in making people think twice about what we consider to be absolute truths. Some have referred to this movement as “New Age.”

James Riverstone adds that, “Humans are realizing that there is a mysterious urge inside of them to reach for higher evolved thinking, feeling and releasing of their old ways. Shamanistic tools can assist us all in seeking more of life’s meaning.”

Andrew Stephen Pratt feels that the need to evolve is not only natural and unavoidable, but absolutely necessary. He goes on to say that, “I think that we’re at a point in time where as humans we are beginning to rediscover this connection to something that is beyond the material world.”

Known to shake people into an awakening, ayahuasca has the ability to encourage reflection, understanding, as well as offer immense healing on the physical, spiritual, and emotional level. While not everyone may understand the desire to sit in ceremony, and for some who may be uncertain and maybe even fearful, because ayahuasca forces you to see yourself as you truly are, it offers tremendous insight into one’s life and mindset. It may be the honest truth you have been searching for, the thing to “set you free,” or it may just remain something you read about in a magazine and move away from as you flip to the next page..

Sources:
Charing, Harold G. Preparation For The Ayahausca Experience.

Grant, A.. Yoga Teaching Increasingly Popular As Second Career. 26 April 2011.

McKenna, Terence K. Food Of The Gods, The Search For The Original Tree Of Knowledge : A Radical History Of Plants, Drugs, And Human Evolution. Bantam, 1993.

Pinchbeck, Daniel. Breaking Open The Head: A Psychedelic Journey Into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism. 2003.

Strassman, Rick. DMT, The Spirit Molecule : A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research Into The Biology Of Near-death And Mystical Experiences. Park Street Press, 2001.

A BIG THANKS to all interviewee’s:  Linda Burroughs, Mason Lacas, and Andrew Stephen Pratt, as well as to, James Riverstone, for his powerful  knowledge and insight.