Multimedia Reporting Fall 2016

Canada Goose toughen up or go home

Sheila Haya
Final Project
Multimedia

With the holiday season in full swing and the weather becoming colder and colder, it seemed like the perfect time for Canada Goose to make their grand debut in SoHo for the first time.
Store Front SoHo, NYC
Unfortunately, they were not welcome by all.

Canada Goose is an apparel company hailing from the great white north, specializing in down jackets many having a removable fur trim made from coyote. The jackets have become increasingly popular among the fashion savvy snowbirds in New York, as well as other northern states that experience frigid weather.

Not only are they fashionable and high in demand, but also are functional in that they keep their owners extremely warm. Canada Goose is a luxury brand that animal activists want out!
Canada Goose, originating in Toronto, started in 1957. It was designed to withstand particularly cold weather; certain styles were made specifically for scientists in Antarctica, and have become a staple item for Canada Goose. These jackets have always been accessible in the United States, through department stores like Nordstrom’s and Bloomingdales. Yet activists were particularly angry for the opening of the store itself.

Protesters have been outside of the store since the day it opened. They promise to stay lined up outside until the store packs up and goes back to Canada.

Shoppers of Canada Goose are disturbed by the information that they learned about the torturing of coyotes, and the protesters screaming at them. Some fought back at the activists, while others removed the fur trim.

Activists were not afraid to shame those that were lined up outside of the store, waiting to go inside, as well as those that walked out with merchandise. Canada Goose employees also entertained the activists claiming that they have no proof that the brand tortures their animals, or that the its one’s choice to wear fur or not.

Canada Goose hired security guards to stand outside their door.

Police came to try to mediate the fighting, and make sure things didn’t escalate to violence.

In an effort to gain more customers, and make up for the shaming of shoppers, Canada Goose offered complimentary peanuts to their customers, and those passing by.

Protesters in return, offered pamphlets, as well as displayed their tablets, phones, etc, of YouTube videos of animals being tortured for the consumption of fur.

Protestors want to educate those that may not have been aware before this, claiming that this is a global environmental issue that is messing with the ecosystem.

Many activists say that eventually the neighborhood will become upset with all the noise being caused that they will ask Canada Goose to move or shut down, and they are willing to wait it out no matter how cold it gets.
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RADIO PROJECT

https://soundcloud.com/sheila8788/sheilaradioproject/s-Ol6kq

STORY SLUG: NEW YORKERS AND THE ELECTION.
SHEILA HAYA
sheila.haya@baruchmail.cuny.edu

INTRO:

NYC has always been marked as a democratic city. Historically New York, is not a swing state and more times than not the votes are going to the democratic candidate running for the presidency, however there are many New Yorkers, that are republican, or undecided. New Yorkers have a reputation of being loud, proud, and diverse. As long as you are on their team, they are open minded. Problems start to occur when you dare to be on the other side, or worse on the fence about something. One thing rings true is across the board, New Yorkers, are cynical. Sheila Haya has the story.

AMBI: Subway in motion.

TRACK: Im here in the Flatiron district of Manahattan with
Dennis Zavlanov, an entrepreneur, student of CUNY Baruch, and son of Buharian Jewish immigrants, and above all New Yorker, is voting for Trump.

ACT: ZAVLANOV: He’s not a politician, he never was a politician, he’s a businessman, I am a businessman, I’m just like him and he’s doing whatever he can to help people, not to help the government.

TRACK: For Dennis, a Trump presidency is a chance for entrepreneurs to make it in a world that is run by corporations and conglomerates.

ACT:ZAVLANOV: I like the fact that he wants to lower taxes for businesses, because that means there is more money that I am going to be saving, and more money that I can use that I have saved, towards my business to grow, to bring more business towards this environment, to expand as much as I possibly can, and what that does is that builds up the economy.

TRACK: Although he isn’t happy with either, he feels that Trump is the better choice.

ACT: ZAVLANOV: “Right now, I believe in a lot of things, that he does want to change the way that our government is set up. This is the first time where I am not happy with neither of the candidates, but the fact that one of them is actually wanting to change and be different for everyone else.”

TRACK: Living in liberal Queens, Zavlanov has been in situations where he has felt ridiculed or places in a hateful category based on his political choice.

ACT: ZAVLANOV: “I hate it, I don’t like the fact that these days just because you’re rooting for someone or voting for someone, you’re criticised upon being that certain way. For Instance just because I am voting for Trump doesn’t mean I’m just like him, I have nothing to do with him. I like the things that he is trying to change America into becoming. I like that, that’s the reason I’m voting for him.
TRACK: It is easier for Dennis to keep to himself rather than advocate for the reasons why he is voting for Trump.

ACT: ZAVLANOV: So I tend to shut myself out and keep quiet, and pretend that I don’t hear anything, and pretend to say that I am undecided, meanwhile I am voting for Trump and hoping that he does win. Reason being is because there is a lot of criticism out there, a lot of people think that if you are a Trump supporter than you’re as racist as he is and basically everything that they think negative of him that they think of him they would think of you because you are voting for him.
I don’t believe that’s true, because I am not a racist, I believe in the world where there is peace. I come from a Jewish background

AMBI: Traffic

ACT:RONCHETTI: “My name is Jesse Ronchetti and I am not voting.

TRACK: Jesse is a 3rd generation New Yorker, he works for the union which is heavily influenced and expected for guys to vote for Clinton. Jesse feels that there is no real choice.

ACT: RONCHETTI: Most of the people that I talk to say that they’re not voting, between guys at work and other friends I’ve asked, most people aren’t voting. Our political system is so in shambles, and it’s kind of a disgrace.” so, it is what it is.”

TRACK: This has proven to be a very divided election, whether you are a supporter of either of the candidates the issues for Jesse are within the political system.

ACT: RONCHETTI:“They wanna divide people on simple moral issues, while in the end, both of them, really, there’s no real difference. It’s all a charade to make people think that there’s a choice and there’s not really any choice.There’s a saying, if you’re not a liberal before 30 you don’t have a heart, and if you’re not a conservative after 30 than you don’t have a brain.”

TRACK: With the election only a week away, and the pressures is mounting to vote one way or the other, don’t be surprised if a lot of New yorkers stay home on election day.

For Baruch College this is Sheila Haya, in NYC.

¡Cuba Libre!


November 25th, 2016 was a normal day until news broke out that Fidel Castro died due to health issues. Many emotions filled the air around the world after hearing this news. In Miami, riots broke out in celebration when hearing the news of Castro being dead. Cuban-Americans filled the street with music blasted, as the drums played and sounds of rejoice surrounded the streets of Miami. It also hit home for here in New York City. The Cuban-American community may be smaller here than it is in Miami, but the feelings were the same. “The fact that my parents left is the biggest influence or the biggest change, my parents would never have left the country if it hadn’t been for the situation with the government.” Says Rosa Olivera, a Cuban-American New Yorker.

Fidel Castro was a communist dictator of Cuba for almost fifty years and his reign is finally over. While Castro was in power his decisions made for Cuba reflected on his idea of nationalism. He wanted a better country for his people, however what he thought was better some Cubans disagreed. Castro did accomplish a lot for Cuba such as the increase in literacy rate, healthcare, education and more. The literacy rate in Cuba is 99.8%, one of the highest of all countries in the world. Castro provided free healthcare and education to the people of Cuba. The doctor-patient ratio is very high in comparison to more developed countries such as the United States.

With Castro gone now, a lot of people reacted to the news, for those Cuban-Americans that experienced Castro during his supremacy responded loud and clear. As most Cuban-Americans who had to leave their own country for better opportunities. Alfredo Garcia, another Cuban-American who went into depth about his middle class family and the love he had for Cuba. He states “It was wonderful because my family was middle class and they gave me the best education the country had to offer.” The education was worthy in a country like Cuba. He went on to describe how missing the opportunity to finish school in his home country gives him grief.

There are a lot of people who have been against Castro, and then there are some that were supporters. When he first started his post in office the community of Cuba were pleased to move on from Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar. They expected more unity and were in for a rude awakening when the economy started to fall. There were many reasons why Cubans migrated to the United States. Majority of Cuban-Americas live in Miami, Florida. The culture of the Cuban-Americans is evident when you see cigar shops and cafes on just about every block.

Eve’s Garden Grows in Silicon Valley

“Honestly, if you thought Tinder was scary, imagine having a live Tinder in your apartment!”– Kim Ibricevic, manager and buyer for Eve’s Garden.

Eve’s Garden is a hidden gem in Midtown New York that has been around since 1974. Discreetly disguised in an office building,  the store’s core function is to provide women sexual freedom and expression. The founder of the store, Dell Williams, worked endlessly throughout her life to help women overcome the shame they were conditioned to feel about sex. A feminist at heart, Williams was a respected figure in the industry until her death in March of this year at the age of 92.

The store is designed in a living room setting to remain true to its initial purpose – making women feel comfortable. The walls are lined with colorful dildos and vibrators, various lubricants and catchy wall postings such as “The G-spot exists, have you found yours?”

Well ladies, if you haven’t, Eve’s Garden can almost guarantee one with the innovative designs they foster at their shop. In this ever-evolving industry, a rapidly expanding and world-shattering breakthrough taking over the sex industry by storm is the development of “sex-tech.” Sex-tech is technology that is created to enhance and innovate every tangible area of human sexuality by creating revolutionary designs for adult paraphernalia.

“With air technology, no joke,  a woman can climax in less than 3 minutes!” – Kim Ibricevic

Innovations in sex-tech have been expanding robustly with the growing acceptance of sex. However, even today, society’s conflicted attitude toward sex is what drives entrepreneurs in this space to continue developing products and services.

“One of the main reasons she [Dell Williams] opened this store was to offer women a safe and comfortable environment. Even now, we are nearly in 2017 and it’s still looked down on as taboo in some ways. It’s much more open now though, it’s almost like you’re a freak and you’re weird if you don’t have a vibrator. Every woman deserves and needs a good vibrator.” – Kim Ibricevic

The negative stigma is unjustified. Sex is more than just an act, sex is personality. There is no single area of human existence that carries such a level of shame, humiliation, and self-torment. This dichotomy that exists of sex, makes it the most affluent possible zone for advances and breakthroughs using technology to progress and fortify our experience of sex.

According to IBISWorld, through 2020, the industry is expected to benefit from rising disposable income, which will increase spending on adult paraphernalia. Furthermore, growing social acceptance of sex is likely to further boost industry sales. Overall, industry revenue growth is expected to accelerate over the next five years by over 10%.

While Williams’ is no longer alive, her legacy lives on in the hidden gem of West 57th Street. Her diligent staff works hard to adapt to what people want but still stay true to their foundations. Under Ibricevics’ great use of tack and the ability to remain true to the niche approach, Eve’s Garden is poised to continue growing as a landmark in the sex industry.

Adidas Three Stripes Take Over

In the year of 2016 individuals are surrounded by several different clothing brands, especially in the athletic gear department. The German based company known as Adidas first opened their doors in the year of 1949. Since then the company has always stuck around. Although the three stripes are internationally known by many people, they haven’t done anything to stick out in recent years until now.

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(Some early sketches of Adidas most iconic shoes.)

It was over two years ago when the company debuted their new cushioning material known as boost. Although the project was in the works since 2012 the boost material didn’t get to debut to the public until 2014 when Adidas released arguably the most comfortable shoe ever formed with their ultra boost sneaker. Along with signings of big time influencers and athletes such as Kanye West and James Harden to name a couple, the company has stood out more than ever before reaching new success in the retail market.

Adidas has been cashing in at every opportunity they can find to help capitalize on their new-found success; this includes expanding their stores worldwide and countrywide. The company has several retail locations all throughout the U.S and international as well. Even with all their current locations they still are looking to open more even in the same city proving that with their new store opening on 5th Ave in New York City. Although they already have a big location in SoHo, the company wanted to bring more to the table with building an even bigger store on one of the busiest Avenues in all of New York.dsc00480

(Front of Adidas new store on 5th Ave)

The store opened its doors on December 1st wasting no time to capitalize on the holiday season shopping frenzy that most retail stores go through around this time of the year. While the doors opened at eleven that day, a big line surrounding the block is full of individuals of all ages awaiting to not only enter the new store and shop but also awaiting to buy a brand-new pair of exclusive ultra boost that released that same day.

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(An inside look of the hectic first day for Adidas)

With so many people buying and waiting to enter the store throughout the day one can only imagine the opening day was a huge success for Adidas, but it didn’t stop there for them.

As mentioned before Adidas is currently riding a big wave of success and they are not looking to let up anytime soon. Although many stores would find a new store opening is a lot for a day, Adidas decided to push the envelope and host an event on 34th street to promote another upcoming sneaker release which is the first signature shoe for James Harden.

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(photo of the glitch court and the participants warming up in the new adidas gear.)

The event known as glitch court consisted of several individuals stepping on a replica NBA court with the new shoes to give them a test drive. With excitement and energy from all the participants it’s clear to see Adidas has another successful shoe under their wing on the way.

Adopt me

I did my project in NYC New beginning Animal Rescue. It is a Non- profit organization dedicated to taking in unwanted, abandoned or abused pets and finding suitable homes for each of them. NNBAR has housed about sixty dogs and forty cats at a time with most being ready for adoption to their forever home.

NYC New beginning Animal Rescue was founded by Pedro Rosario who worked at the NYC Animal Care & Control for 16 years. He began this rescue in 2010 because he felt he could make a difference saving the lives of unwanted pets by providing a safe atmosphere where no animal would be euthanized due to lack of space. Pedro resorted to using all of his 401(k) to keep the only home these animals have and is constantly looking for new ways to raise funds in order to stay open and service all of the animals that come into the shelter.

My project is to encourage people to adopt and help these beautiful fur babies find homes.

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https://youtu.be/pvEvNfynA1w

 

 

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What does it mean to be a Female?

We are The Women and We are Beautiful

“If a country doesn’t recognize minority rights and human rights, including women’s rights, you will not have the kind of stability and prosperity that is possible,” said Hillary Clinton.

Minority women around the United States are evaluating the results of the election after the candidate that they strongly supported- Hillary Clinton, lost to Donald Trump who was known for his racist and sexist remarks.

Women immensely voted for Clinton, but many white women helped to elect Trump. According to Edison national election poll, there was an overall 54% of women who voted for Clinton. Trump had an overall 42% of women voting for him. When votes were divided by race, it was very obvious that women of color created the gender gap opposing Trump.

Throughout the election, Trump’s views of women were documented. He has objectified and criticized women in so many ways. There has been instagram posts, tweets, blogs and other public social media platforms containing Trump’s nasty remarks. Huffington Post has an article containing quotes that has been said from Donald Trump himself. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/16-real-things-trump-has-said-about-women-while-for-running-for-president_us_57e14a5ae4b04a1497b6a29c

The polls exaggerated the human population, but the white women benefited Trump the most. This had led many minority women to feel “unrecognized” when Clinton believed in minority rights, human rights and women’s rights.

“I feel like a woman that’s seen from all other women around the world as a free woman except they don’t realize that we are oppressed by an invisible, an artificial force created by the men,” said Sofiaa Rodriguez who lives in Manhattan, NY.

Female minorities in the midtown area will speak about how they feel and explain their views. These women were asked what it means to be a female in America and what opportunities they think they should have. A few stumbled to answer the first question. These women thought about their own personal experiences and put it into words. Minority women want more fair opportunities for all regardless who you are because everyone deserves to try. As a female in America, these women mentioned their interactions with men and how it has affected them- whether it was positive or negative.  Women believe that they should not be defined by our gender, but by what they do.

First off, I want to start with an intro to my project:

What are some characteristics of women?

Here is a presentation of people I have spoke to. Some did not want a full frontal picture of themselves, but I asked them to show me something that represented them and/or females.

Danielle John:

Sofiaa Rodriguez:

Angelina Mitchell:

Melizza Maldonado:

Sadina Henderson:

Dr. Anupama S. Shah:

Jenny Hon:

Lastly, I want to end with a quote William Jennings Bryan once said, “Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority.”

Thank you watching and listening!