Author: NAYDELINE MEJIA

password: jrn3510

I did all the captioning myself, and it took me a while. I am very proud of this short 00:28 second video for sure!

1. I want to document how different people across the world are social distancing through a compilation of vlogs submitted to me by friends or colleagues. I would ask people to make short 2 to 3 minute vlogs about how they are practicing social distancing (i.e. what does their daily WFH schedule look like, what new hobbies or projects have they taken up during quarantine). I think this would be an interesting way to see how social distancing looks different in NYC compared to California or even in the U.K. To add more journalistic elements, I might ask how their respective state or country is responding to the pandemic as different countries and states are responding differently. Do they have a shelter in place order? How many cases do they have currently? Etc.
2.  A second idea is about the emergence and reliance on online communities and how companies or people are using social media to stay connected with consumers, customers, and/or their community. I am interested in exploring the increase in Instagram Live conversations, Zoom panels and workshops, Netflix parties, online workout classes, and even newsletters. I know yoga studios like Modo Yoga NYC are hosting daily yoga classes through Instagram, Miley Cyrus has a talk show called “Bright Minded” that she hosts strictly through Instagram Live, and journalist, Suleika Jaouad has a newsletter called “Isolation Journals” where she sends out daily journaling prompts, each hosted by a different guest, for her followers to participate in. I would love to interview people who have started online communities or platforms because of the quarantine about their inspiration behind their projects and also about the role these online communities play in keeping people socially connected, while we’re physically disconnected.

Host intro: Since March 20, when Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York issued an executive order that called for all non-essential businesses to shut down, and workers to stay home, many states across the country have followed suit in hopes of bringing the COVID-19 outbreak under control. While those deemed non-essential workers work from home, essential workers such as nurses, service workers, and elderly caregivers, must brave the frontlines of the pandemic. Naydeline Mejia spoke with some of those essential workers across the country about how it feels to work through a global pandemic. 

AMBI: NAT sounds of Jessica Gomez, an In-take Coordinator at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles, walking out onto her backyard to escape her crowded home in South Central, L.A. for some fresh air (Fades down as TRACK1 begins.)

AMBI: Room tone (Layered under tracks.)

TRACK1: I’m speaking with Jessica Gomez, an In-take Coordinator at a homeless shelter in  Skid Row, Los Angeles––a neighborhood with one of the largest homeless populations in the United States. During our Zoom conference call, Gomez tells me about a decrease in residents at her shelter due to government buildings shutting down in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

ACT1: JESSICA: There’s a lot of people who aren’t having the opportunity to get shelter right now and that’s because […] in my case in particular, I work for the DPSS and that stands for the Department of Public Social Services, and so all the county buildings in LA county are closed, so usually our clients would go to the DPSS office and get a voucher in order to be housed there, ’cause there’s different programs, but for our program in particular you need an LA county voucher to be housed there, but due to the closure of all the DPSS buildings, they can’t get a voucher so […] usually we have, in our program, up to like thirty clients and right now it’s gone down to I think it’s like four clients.

TRACK2: These government building closures have left many out on the streets, and searching for alternative options. 

ACT2: JESSICA: Even pre-pandemic our shelters would fill up and not everybody got a chance to, you know, get emergency housing. But yeah, pretty much if you’re not able to get a voucher, you’re kind of stuck outside and you literally have to find another way to get some other type of housing.

TRACK3: Social workers, like Gomez, aren’t the only ones seeing a shift in their work environments because of COVID-19. Healthcare professionals across the country are seeing shortages in PPE, the Personal Protective Equipment they need to protect themselves from infectious diseases. I spoke with a nurse in Arkansas about how her hospital is responding to the shortages as coronavirus cases in the state climb over a thousand.

ACT3: NURSE: So for us, down in Arkansas, we are doing fairly well, we’re just really trying to conserve what we do have, so like if we have a mask usually I am used to like wearing it into the room––wearing the mask for the 20 minutes I’m doing care and then I’ll throw it out because it’s kind of, you know, I’ve already used it, and then I’ll go to the next room, but now we’re having to use it [the mask] for basically the whole 12-hour shift, which is a lot.

TRACK4: As the situation becomes more dire, this Arkansas nurse expects many healthcare professionals to walk out on hospitals out of fear and lack of Personal Protective Equipment. 

ACT4: NURSE: I definitely am showing up and doing my best; however, if I’m being told that I have nothing and I only can bring a scarf from home to take care of these COVID-positive patients then my life does matter and I’m not a martyr, so I will be walking out and probably saying, “I’m not doing it,” and so will other people. A lot of healthcare workers I’ve talked to, if they have nothing to wear, they’ll walk out, so that’s just the reality.

TRACK5: While healthcare workers grapple with treating infectious patients at work, outside of the hospital, these professionals face the threat of eviction by anxious landlords and even verbal abuse from the public––adding to their list of things to be fearful of. 

ACT5: NURSE: So, people have been sometimes physically abusing healthcare workers because they think that they’re spreading the virus. So, that’s just a concern that I have as a woman, also, that I have to be careful and so I’m just kind of going straight to work and going right home [after] and I don’t stop at the store, at all, in my scrubs because I don’t want any negative connotations or abuse from just wearing scrubs, which unfortunately happens.

TRACK6: Here, in New York City, workers outside of the hospital face different fears. Joel Bautista, a student at Baruch College, continues to work his shifts at Paris Baguette in Midtown Manhattan during the weekends. As essential businesses, many restaurants and cafes have remained open during the city’s temporary shutdown. Commuting on the MTA, usually a rather safe and normal aspect of city life, has become an anxious experience for many essential workers as reduced service causes longer wait times and crowded trains. 

ACT6: JOEL: Um, yeah I definitely have fears now more than ever ’cause when I go on the train I see […] I don’t know why […] the first few days of going to work with this whole coronavirus thing, it was empty at first and now there’s more people which has made me more anxious, but also I’ve worked with my family and try to like […] because they know I’m working and I’m coming back, so what we do now is we have a bottle of alcohol, like a small spray bottle, by the door, so every time I walk in I have to spray my hands because I do touch a doorknob to get in, so I have to spray my hands and everything. But yeah, I’m going to be honest I’ve been really anxious the past few days and it’s really, I wouldn’t say it’s affecting my work, but it’s definitely affecting me, in general, at home and stuff. 

TRACK7: While every employee has the right to refuse work, especially if one feels as though their health might be in danger, a common theme among the essential workers I spoke to regarding their decision to continue to work through this pandemic was that of wanting to be there for others––from serving meals to those who need it to providing shelter for the homeless. Brenika Banks, a caregiver at Home Instead Senior Care in the Manhattan borough of New York City, feels a need to maintain her elderly client’s routine during these unprecedented times. 

ACT7: BRENIKA: So yeah we have a cool relationship and I’m the one who […] I volunteer to do this every week. Sunday morning when I’m about to leave I wash her hair and I wash her hair like she’s my little sister, like with the shampoo and the Shea Moisture conditioner. She’s a white lady by the way, not that that really means anything, but I wash her hair like she’s of color. [laughs] I make sure she gets the deep wash and the good conditioner, like let it sit in everything while I shower her and then rinse it out afterwards. So I don’t know who would be the one to do that. I mean yeah, someone else probably would, but I feel like it’s good for me to still be there because I was one of the first caregivers that took on her case when she joined the company, so just […] she’s very familiar with me in these past, almost three months. So I know for older people routine is very important to them, and I feel like I’m a part of that routine for her. I’m a caregiver that she’s comfortable with so a part of me still goes [to work] for that.

TRACK8: As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country, these essential workers are urging others to flatten the curve and limit the spread of this infectious disease by practicing social distancing. According to Governor Cuomo in a press conference last Tuesday, there are some early indications that it’s starting to have an impact in New York.

ACT8: CUOMO: We talk about the apex and as the apex [as] a plateau, and right now we’re projecting that we are reaching a plateau in the total number of hospitalizations, and you can see the growth and you can see it starting to flatten. Again, this is a projection, it still depends on what we and what we do will affect those numbers. This is not an act of God that we’re looking at, it’s an act of what society actually does.

TRACK9: There may not be a vaccine available to the public as of yet, but there is one solution we do have to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and that is staying home so those on the frontlines can save lives. For Baruch College, I’m Naydeline Mejia in New York.

Host Intro: COVID-19, the novel coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China, has finally made its way into the states, and New York City –– a city of more than 8 million people –– is drastically feeling the effects. While many private universities are taking necessary steps to protect their students from the virus by closing down facilities and moving to distance-learning, many CUNY students are still attending classes as usual. Naydeline Mejia spoke to two Baruch College students about how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting their academic and personal lives, and whether or not they believe CUNY is acting accordingly by keeping schools open. 

AMBI1: Nat sound of a facet running as a student washes their hands in the bathroom. (Fades down as TRACK1 begins.)

AMBI2: Room tone comes in. (Layered under tracks.)

TRACK1: I’m here at Baruch College with Dashawn Jones, a current Baruch senior and fashion designer. While Jones feels relatively safe at school during the coronavirus outbreak, he worries about the pandemic’s effect on his clothing business.

ACT1: At school I feel pretty safe. I wear a glove on the train, so I don’t touch the poles and just remember to not touch my face often throughout the day, but in my personal life it’s really affected my business because I have a lot of manufacturers overseas and all [of] my shipments for January and February were delayed significantly. I even had to cancel some orders, so it’s […] I could just imagine businesses who are much larger who are going through similar complications with getting products and just losing out on a lot of profit because of this.

TRACK2: While the coronavirus pandemic has definitely sparked fears about its possible effects on small businesses and the economy, there are also many fears around how the virus might affect academics. Brenika Banks, a current Baruch student studying journalism, says she feels torn about CUNY’s decision to hold off on shutting down schools –– a step many private universities have already taken. 

ACT2:  I feel a little torn on it. On one hand it’s like, yeah how are we safe as a public university to still be in school when these private institutions have decided to close their door? But on the other hand, a lot of us need this credit. A lot of us it’s our senior year and it would be an interruption in the semester if they close school. Not everybody is going to offer online classes and where does that leave students who are going to be graduating this year if they really need to be in school? So, it’s hard. Obviously if there are more cases and our health is in danger than yes, it would make sense to close down the school. I am hoping for the best because I still want to come to class in person, but I am really torn about it. 

TRACK3: Although the threat of COVID-19 is causing a lot of uproar, Banks believes that the best thing to do right now is to remain calm and not panic. 

ACT3: It is getting to a point where a lot of us should be worried, slightly, because it is on all seven continents at this point. But, honestly, if we’re all taking care of ourselves the way we should be and staying healthy and getting our vaccines, if you choose to, then it’s not much to worry about. The most we have to worry about are people who are already sick, who already have certain illnesses where that [COVID-19] will affect them more. And of course, not being a carrier to a loved one or someone you know who also may be at risk. So it’s just about educating ourselves. There’s no reason to panic, if you’re panicking you can not make clear decisions and think clearly of how to handle things.

TRACK4: As the number of coronavirus cases continue to grow in New York City and the U.S., CUNY students hope that the governor takes proactive steps to protect both students and businesses. For Baruch College, this is Naydeline Mejia in New York City. 

Choice 1: I want to interview the people on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak – service workers, nurses, elder care employees and how they are reacting to and impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. How are they adjusting to continuing to work while many people have the privilege of working from home? How have their work lives shifted or been exacerbated due to the outbreak? Do they have any fears about commuting to work, being at work, etc. about contracting the virus and how do they work around these fears? Do they feel like their needs are being met and concerns are being heard by employers during this time? I am also interested in speaking with retail workers, restaurant employees, etc. who may have very real fears of being laid off and how they are responding to the uncertainty around their job; however, I don’t know if that would be considered a separate story. I have access to this story as I have nurses in my personal circle from my brief nursing school days, I am a retail worker, and I have family members and friends in the service industry.

Choice 2: I am interested in how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting freelancers and the freelancer economy. How has the pandemic affected how they are able to do their work? How has it impacted the work available to them? How has it impacted current projects they were working on or plans they had? I have access to this story as I know a couple of freelancers who may be able to participate. I can put out a “call-out” or poll on social media to see who may be willing to be a part of this story.

Attached below is my final photo essay. Let me know what you think!

Painting with Thread: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Series

1. A local story I am thinking about is reporting on mental health on campus. College students experience a lot of stress and anxiety due to the demands of school, work, in additional to stress in their personal lives. I would be interested in learning about different Baruch students’ experiences with mental health and how they’ve navigated getting services such as therapy — if they have tried — from either Baruch’s Counseling Center or around the city. For sound bits, I would include interviews, also maybe record the sounds in these students’ everyday lives (i.e. foot traffic on campus, the subway, chatter).

2. A second pitch is a local story in my Bronx community. Near my apartment there is a CrossFit gym that has given the community access to take back control of their health and bodies. The founder of Brutal Boxx CrossFit is Jose Morales who founded the gym “in 2014 after serving five years in federal prison.” It was during his incarceration that he became very passionate about CrossFit — training for it constantly. After being released from prison, Morales was on a mission to bring CrossFit back to his community to “educate others on the benefits of living a more active lifestyle.” I would be interested in learning more about Morales’s story and what his gym has meant for the local community. For sound bits, I would include interviews with Morales — if possible — as well as gym members. I would also include the sounds of the gym (i.e. ropes hitting the floor, instructors training members, grunting from working out, the above ground 4 train near by, etc.)

Here’s the link to my photo essay on Exposure. Excited to hear what everyone thinks!

Painting With Thread: A Behind-the-Scenes Look of The Series

So here are my ideas for the photo essay:

1. My first idea is to profile The Series NY, a start-up sustainable denim brand that creates genderless clothing from “pre-existing materials.” For this series I hope to get some shots of the creator’s studio which hopefully will offer some interesting imagery of textiles and textures. I hope to also get some shots of the artist and creator herself. I think this would make an interesting story because fashion is very visual and her concepts are very bold, and colorful. Also the way she uses recycled materials is important as more pressure is put on fashion companies to be more sustainable. I have access to this story because I already reached out to the creator and they would be interested in working with me for this piece.

2. A second idea I have is profiling queer nightlife and what nightlife represents for the LGBTQ+ community. I have this idea of following a friend around who is a designer and makeup artist, and who is also a part of queer nightlife, on a night out. I would profile the getting ready process, on the way to the party, and the party itself. I feel like this is a strong visual story because of the amazing, incredible looks that are pulled out for these events. I have access to this story because I reached out to them and they said they would be interested in doing this story with me if we can find an event to go to!

If anyone else has any other suggestions or ideas of things I should aim to capture, please let me know!