Multimedia Reporting

https://soundcloud.com/user-88360655/covid-19-remote-learning/s-02R7QWaKRTo

HOST:  Like many cities around the country in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic, New York City Public Schools have switched over to remote learning since last month. Over 1 million students and 75,000 teachers are now working from home, and some are struggling to adjust to the new format. This new mode of instruction has greatly limited the ability of teachers to work closely with their students, and have posed problems for students who require one-on-one assistance for their educational success, like special education teachers. 

Recently, Mayor DeBlasio announced that New York City Public Schools would be closing for the remainder of the school year, causing much frustration and uncertainty for teachers across the city. Therese Rodrigues has the story.

ACT:  Bill de Blasio school closure announcement on March 11, DE BLASIO: After very careful consideration, I announced today that the New York City Public Schools will remain closed for the remainder of this school year. Having to tell you that we can not bring our schools back for the remainder of this year is painful, but, I can also tell you, it’s the right thing to do.  

AMBI: Sounds of online class

TRACK: This is not a conventional classroom. There are no whiteboards, posters, or desks. Only a teacher, her books, and a computer. Aloma Rodrigues is a 5th grade Special Education teacher at P.S. 97 in Queens. She is looking into her laptop camera, and her students smile back at her. Some are trying to talk to their friends who they haven’t seen in weeks, others are distracted by their siblings and parents in the background. She tries to get their attention, which proves to be a difficult task. 

AMBI: Sounds of online class 

TRACK: Rodrigues teaches a self-contained class of 12 students. Each child has special educational needs and requires extensive individual attention. She, along with many other educators, have had difficulties adjusting to teaching from home. 

AMBI: Sounds of online class 

ACT: RODRIGUES: So, the remote learning format has been stressful and challenging for me. It takes a lot of time to look for resources, just to make sure that you’re finding the right one that’s appropriate for your students’ needs, so it takes a lot out of your time.

TRACK: The majority of Rodrigues’ job consists of one on one instruction. Her students each have unique sets of educational needs, which is difficult to accommodate in online instruction. 

ACT: RODRIGUES: I feel as though my role as a teacher has changed, in the fact that I don’t feel like I’m actually teaching the kids, I’m just assigning work for them to do, and the kids are basically left to figure it out on their own. 

TRACK: Coordinating with parents is essential in remote learning. They have been tasked with the responsibility of making sure their children complete their work. Communication with parents, however, has been difficult. 

ACT: RODRIGUES: It has been very challenging dealing with the parents. A lot of times, I’ve been sending out multiple messages a day, just to make sure that the kids are doing their work on time, and parents are not responding to the messages, so it’s been very challenging.    

TRACK: For elementary school students, remote learning consists more of online assignments than video calls or conferences. Students have had difficulty adjusting to this new format. 

ACT: RODRIGUES: I’ve noticed a lot of changes in my students. For some kids, they’re producing work that’s really outstanding- and I know that they’re not doing the work themselves, and they’re getting help. And on the other hand, I know that kids are not putting their best effort in their work, I know they can do a lot more. 

TRACK: Although Rodrigues tries to schedule daily meetings with her students, she feels as if the experience is inadequate in replicating the dynamics of her normal classroom. 

ACT: RODRIGUES: When we have a Google Meeting to do a read-aloud, sometimes you have six students showing up, or you have students showing up maybe five minutes before the meeting is over, and some days only three students show up, depending on the day, or I guess, how late they went to bed that night.    

AMBI: Sounds of online class     

TRACK:  The parents of these students have also had to adjust to the new learning format. Remote Learning requires extensive parental or guardian support, as children do not have the same organized schedule as they do during class. Anisha Ramjattee, the mother of a student in Rodrigues’ class, expressed her thoughts on the new learning format. 

TRACK: Ramjattee is grateful for teachers’ support during the transition 

ACT: RAMJATTE: He adjusted to remote learning faster than I thought he was going to, because of the teacher’s help, it made it very simple and easy for him.

TRACK: Her child, like many others, found trouble focusing on assignments and working independently. 

ACT: RAMJATTE: The challenge that he faced in remote learning was working independently by himself. Also at the beginning, me as a parent, having to go over the assignment with him. 

TRACK: Although Ramjattee is grateful for the support her child has received so far, the remote learning system is far from perfect.

ACT: RAMJATTE: If I could change anything about remote learning, it would be for all the teachers to work together, and send all of the work in one page. 

TRACK:  Another issue teachers have faced is coordination. Students have separate classes for Art, Technology, Dance, and Physical Education, but it is often confusing for children to balance the workloads from all of their classes.

AMBI: Sounds of online class 

TRACK: With schools closed until September, teachers, parents, and students alike have no option but to adapt to the new format. What that entails continues to evolve. For Baruch College, I’m Therese Rodrigues. 

 

 

For Theatre Students, COVID-19 Prompts a Semester Without Applause

Kenneth Fremer

HOST: For students across the country, Coronavirus precautions have resulted in a shift towards online schoolwork. Homework assignments are moving online, and classes are being held through video conferencing services like Zoom as most states issue shelter-in-place notices to their residents. But what about students in the arts, who now find themselves cut off from their peers, essential materials, and mentors? Kenneth Fremer spoke to students at Arizona State University about adjusting their hands-on course of study during a time in which physical contact is essentially forbidden.

AMBI: Lucy’s backyard in Arizona. Wind chimes in the distant, and birds are heard in the distance

KENNY: Most students are having trouble living with their families every day while working and studying from home. Speaking to me through video chat from Arizona, Lucy Primiano has found refuge in her backyard from the commotion of her family indoors.

NAT: Wind chimes close-up. 

LUCY: “Working from home has been interesting, I can’t say it’s been the most productive. Not just because I’ve got eight cats and four dogs who also want to participate in all of my work. For instance in lighting design, we were supposed to go into the lighting lab and create these lighting cues for a podcast we were listening to. And so we had to shift to an online software called vectorworks, and we were able to create these lighting cues but it’s really no substitute for learning how to use the board and seeing how the lighting hits a person.”

KENNY: At Arizona State University, home of the state’s largest theater, the Gammage, theatrical productions have been completely halted and campus facilities shut down. Lucy has found herself without a job, and without access to the resources at ASU’s sprawling        campus, or the inspiration she receives from fellow creatives.

LUCY: “I’m limited in that I can’t actually apply any of these concepts, and a lot of it is muscle memory. And again, even if I’m not in a traditional classroom setting, I’m learning through my job. So right now, I mean every theater across the country is shut down. Not being able to continue that learning once the classroom setting is out of the question during the summer, with what we’re learning hands on through our jobs, that’s another element that’s up in the air right now.”

KENNY: As productions are cancelled, students are missing out on vital hands-on work and the satisfaction of seeing shows through to completion. The biggest disappointment for Lucy and her classmates came with the cancellation of the school’s production of the Crucible, which would have premiered on March 20th. 

LUCY: “We should have been going into tech week, and actually this past Friday would have been opening night. And so missing everything that is being learned as we all watch it come together, and then missing that celebratory mark of seeing the show open and everything we’ve done, and all the tech and design elements that we’ve combined, right now we can’t do that.”

KENNY: Phoebe Leisinger, another student who worked in Arizona State’s theater department on the cancelled Crucible production, has had to move back home because of an outbreak at her apartment building near campus. 

AMBI: Phoebe’s room noise

PHOEBE: “And so, like I called my parents and was like ‘there’s an outbreak at my apartment’ and they were like, you have to come home and you have 24 hours to pack your stuff and get home now. I didn’t have time to pack everything, I could just grab the essentials and got out of there because it’s just not – it’s so close quarters, it’s not worth it.”

KENNY: Phoebe’s also hosting her roommate, Oliver, who won’t be able to drive back to his home in Kansas due to safety precautions

PHOEBE: “One of my roommates is at my parents’ house with me, ‘cause he needs to go back to Kansas because that’s where he’s from. But like, all the hotels are closed between here and there and he can’t do a two day drive in one go, and it’s below freezing at night so he can’t sleep in his car. And it’s just this situation where everyone is trapped and there’s nothing to do, y’know? It’s scary.”

KENNY: Phoebe isn’t sure what her work will look like after the Coronavirus pandemic. She’s graduating this semester, and won’t be able to find theater work this summer. Right now, theater students at ASU don’t have much of an idea of what their future will look like. Nobody knows for sure when students might be able to return to campus. When they do return, though, students will have lost an essential part of their college experience.

LUCY: “We’re gonna have to come I think first come together and acknowledge what we lost during these past few weeks, and however many months we have to come, and really rally around rebuilding our sense of community… we’re gonna have to let each other have our little dumb and forgetful moments, and then just remind each other that it’s all understandable, we just have to keep moving forward and pick up the pace.”

KENNY: For Baruch College, this is Kenneth Fremer from a basement in Staten Island, New York.

Host Intro: As many of us are home as a result of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that has been declared a pandemic in mid-March, essential workers head to work in New York. Hospitals all over New York State are struggling with overwhelmed staff and dwindling supplies. Shali Huang has a story of how this pandemic is affecting healthcare workers.

AMBI: Natural sound of a faucet running. (Fades as TRACK1 begins.)

TRACK1: Recently, as the pandemic unfolds, hospitals all over the country announced that they would terminate employees who would speak to the media regarding the lack of PPEs and long hours. Several hospitals enforcing this policy include New York’s Montefiore System, NYU Langone and Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I have an NYU Langone employee here today as  she describes how COVID-19 has affected her hospital. Her name will be withheld as a result of this policy.

ACT1: I work for NYU Langone as a housekeeper. I clean the rooms. My hospital is now limiting PPEs. They didn’t use to do that. We just took what we needed. They didn’t keep count. We are not allowed to wear masks now. Only doctors and nurses who treat the COVID-19 patients can wear them.

TRACK2: Social distancing rules are constantly adjusting with rising infection numbers. One major issue is maintaining social distance in close quarters. This is especially difficult to do on subways and buses, especially when this is how most essential employees travel to work. The MTA have implemented policies to sanitize their stations, subways, and most recently buses, everyday to assist these essential employees, even as rider numbers have been decreasing by at least 60% since March.

ACT2: I wake up very early, at 5:30 am to take the M34 bus when I go to work because there aren’t many people. But when I get off work, I walk home. It takes me about one hour. 

TRACK3: As the number of COVID-19 cases increase, hospitals are overwhelmed beyond capacity. Nurses and doctors all over the country have stated concerns regarding the lack of PPEs in their hospitals. Since NYS have become the epicenter of this pandemic, hospitals are overrun with dying patients that temporary morgues had to be built. Lack of hospital beds and ventilators are common throughout the city, with rising reports of frontline workers being infected. Emergency room doctor Colleen Smith, working at NYC’s Elmhurst Hospital describes the situation in her hospital. SMITH: We had to get a refrigerated truck to store the bodies.

ACT3: The cases are growing so much, especially in New York. Since last month, I have had to work overtime. Every two weeks, I get two days off. I keep seeing on the news that doctors and nurses are getting sick so I worry a lot. Now it is even more important to work. We need more healthcare workers. It is dangerous but this is our responsibility.

TRACK4: As the governor calls on retired doctors and nurses to return to service during these trying times, supplies are dwindling. SMITH: We don’t have the protective equipment we’re supposed to have. I put on one N95 mask in the morning. I don’t take it off all day. I don’t even care if I get in trouble for speaking to the media. I want people to know that this is bad. People are dying.

TRACK5: A growing number of healthcare workers have taken to social media describing their situation regarding safety issues and a lack of PPEs despite retaliation from their employers. As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, those on the front lines are most at risk. For Baruch College, this is Shali Huang in New York City.

Host Intro: The current covid-19 situation hit the U.S economy. To slow down the spread of virus one by one, the U.S cities are imposing the shutdown of schools, colleges, public places and non-essential stores. Some stores are closing temporarily for a period which can cause workers to lose their jobs and face financial challenges. According to theregreview.org 6.6 million Americans filled for unemployment. The highest number of unemployment claims filled in the history. Due to pandemic situation, the number of unemployment rate has been increasing. The U.S department of labor released the report that shows the overall rate of unemployment has increased to 4.4%. Covid-19 also affected businesses, and financial sectors are facing losses. The business sectors Includes restaurants, bars and entertainments where people are more in contact and close to each other. Coronavirus has a highest risk of spread, so companies in these industries are the first to be affected, causing the unemployment of workers. Here’s Zarifa Ahmadi with the story.

Track: Various small industries negatively impacted by covid-19; a Fox news reports Sandy Lenger story. Sandy Lenger manages a bar the governor order to close, to slow the spread of virus.

ACT:  Sandy Lenger (report from fox news) we been closed for approximately two weeks; a lot of our income goes to that, so I was told to come down here and I was glad they were open.

AMBI: sound of footsteps of people walking to the unemployment office

Track: people who lose their jobs are the ones who face the most of financial problems, some of the workers are not even eligible to apply for unemployment benefits. It’s a hard and challenging time for them to pay rents, bills, and to feed their families.

ACT: (Vickeia Mayweather) I just came here to check my claim to see what’s going on.

Track: According to report by a Fox news Vickeia Mayweather a school bus driver is out of work for at least through April 5th

AMBI: Sounds of people talking on unemployment office

ACT: I need to keep my rent, my vehicle you know bills got to be paid the government isn’t going to stop that, so they have to. I want to keep my light and gas on and stuff.

Track: For the people, the timing of the job loss is questionable but, in this situation, nobody can do anything. Most of the students are part-time workers as well. Students face the problems of unemployment named Fatima from St john’s college was working at CVS and now, she is been out of work for the past 2 weeks. The CVS store temporarily closes to slow down the spread of virus. Let’s hear from Fatima.

ACT: (Fatima) My name is Fatima. I’m a student at saint jones university. I currently work at a local pharmacy and due to the pandemic, we have been experiencing a lot of staffing issues. we actually had a positive case of corona virus at my pharmacy  and that led to a lot of people been quarantined and we had low staff and a lot of our staff took leaves and absences which led to our pharmacy temporarily closed for the last two weeks so currently I’m unemployed and its been really hard. My heart goes out to anyone else experiencing troubles either health wise, mentally, physically, or financial troubles and yeah, I just want everyone to know that we will get through this.

Track: As businesses throughout the country closed during the Covid-19 pandemic and as I mentioned earlier over six point six million people across the nation filed for unemployment benefits.

ACT: (Singh) Honestly, I feel um helpless like there’s not much more I can do.

Track: Singh is a full-time student at John Jay college and was advised by his employer to file for unemployment as a result of the recent health crisis unfortunately.

ACT: Unfortunately with me being laid off I do have to use the money that I was gonna use as tuition, which is also my emergency fund I do have some of that money and I might not be able to take classes next semester if I’m not able to get it through on the unemployment website.

Track: According to DOL report, on a typical week the DOL receives about fifty thousand calls and about three hundred and fifty visits to their website the last week of march they received 8.2 million calls and over 3.4 million visits to their website.

ACT: It was very high ceiling because it would take this to like the last page where you filled out a bunch of information then it would automatically just crash and bring you back to the first page.

ACT: I apologize for the pain it is must infuriating to deal with I am telling you we have every technology company, the company working on it we’re spending a lot of money.

Track: In a press conference on Tuesday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo apologized for the difficulty New Yorkers faced when trying to apply for unemployment.

ACT: (Andrew Cuomo) The site is so deluge that it keeps crashing because you literally have hundreds of thousands of people at any time trying to get on the site and it continue to crash

Track: According to the DOL they created a two-fold plan to help New Yorkers applying for unemployment the first part reducing the volume of unemployment application a day and encouraging New Yorkers to apply on specific days based on their last name the second part to increase the capacity of staff to deal well, taken additional staff from other agencies. Zarifa Ahmadi from New York.

 

Host intro: The coronavirus has caused over 5,000 deaths in New York City so far, and the number of new cases continues to rise. Like most institutions of higher learning, the City University of New York transitioned to remote learning last month. CUNY is the largest public university system in the country, and many of the students at its 26 campuses around the five boroughs work to support themselves and their families. Many have been impacted not just by the switch to online lessons, but also by the loss of jobs and internship opportunities as all nonessential businesses have been closed. M’Niyah Lynn has more on this story.

AMBI: Nat sound of street showing how empty streets are (FADES AS TRACK BEGINS)

TRACK: Hear that? No…you don’t. Normally, the NYC streets would be bustling with activity, but today it is almost deserted. Here on the Upper East Side, few cars drive past 1st Avenue. What you don’t hear are the kids chasing each other in the park or the sound of heavy chatter at the local mall. 

AMBI: Room tone (LAYER UNDER TRACK)

TRACK: I’m here with Adonia Smith over a video chat, listening to her speak as she prepares for another day of sitting at home to complete assignments. She’s a CUNY undergraduate student at LaGuardia Community College who is planning to transfer to John Jay after she graduates at the end of the semester. She would usually be at school working in the financial aid office.

ACT: ADONIA: Because the Federal Work Study office is physical and they are not moving electronically like other resources on campus, it has affected my ability to work because I cannot work currently, and as a result nobody that works in the work study office is working and we are all collecting our paychecks.

TRACK: Although CUNY has insisted that their community practice safe protocols, they have allowed internships and jobs to “use their best judgement” when it comes to deciding how work will be given out and deciding if people can still go to work sites. Smith says that LaGuardia is still paying Federal Work Study students as long as their worksite is closed, but some students are unable to have the same opportunity.

ACT: ADONIA: My employer stated that because of federal work study closing, there are no students that could submit their working papers and there’s no students that could apply for work study.

AMBI: Nat sounds of email notifications (FADES INTO TRACK)

TRACK: Student’s emails are being flooded with information from the CUNY chancellor, their professors, and their individual institutions, as both students and professors struggle transitioning.  Angelica Tejada, Baruch College junior, was supposed to begin her first journalism internship the day after CUNY announced they would go remote. Now, she’s forced to delay her internship, that she worked so hard to get, for college credit.

ACT: ANGELICA: The position itself kind of requires in person because you know it’s about hosting events and interviewing people and obviously that’s like something that is traditionally done in person. I mean, we have come a long way where you can call someone and interview them or you can host like an online like via Skype party you know? But, it’s not the traditional way of doing it, and also the role that I was gonna be in that company it wasn’t supposed to be like remote. 

TRACK: Fortunately, her supervisor postponed the internship until the fall. However, having to wait to pursue her opportunity has diminished her usually positive attitude.

ACT: ANGELICA: I feel like I’m fortunate and I really cannot complain because there’s people who are in like very unfortunate situations. But, for me, you know I did feel like pretty bummed out you know I was really excited for this internship and to finally you know work and feel like I was doing something important you know for the projects that the company presented to me and everything, so I just felt kind of like unmotivated now and uninspired in a way and you know, cuz’ I was really pumped and now they just like bursted my bubble.

AMBI: Gov. Cuomo’s press conference from March 20th, announcing the closing of non-essential businesses. CUOMO: Only essential businesses will be functioning. People can work at home, god bless you, but only essential businesses can have workers commuting. (FADES INTO TRACK)

TRACK: Non-essential businesses, like clothing stores and barber shops have been closed to curb the spread of COVID-19. This means many students are screwed because “42% of students have household incomes less than $20,000,” according to the State of CUNY 2017 report. Students seek work to help pay for college expenses that PELL grants and TAP don’t cover, if they receive anything. In a video posted to the CUNY website last month, Chancellor Matos Rodriguez said he’s working to make sure students can thrive in school and work from home.

ACT: MATOS: If we don’t do something to help them, those students will lose their semester. Those are our most vulnerable students, and it wouldn’t be CUNY if we just said that we’re not going to help you. 

TRACK: CUNY continues to keep students posted with updates, including implementing a recalibration period to hopefully equip everyone for distance learning and running spring break from April 8th to the 11th. For Baruch College, I’m M’Niyah Lynn.

Upcoming/Revised Dates

• Tuesday, April 7. Remember to sign up for a script editing session for Tuesday here.
• Thursday, April 9. We won’t have class next Thursday because it’s spring break. You are all, however, welcome to text me for editing assistance outside of class hours and I’ll be happy to hop on a call or a one-on-one Zoom meeting and help you troubleshoot.
• Tuesday April 14. This is the first day we will “meet” again after the shortened spring break, and the final version of the radio story will be due by class time. This gives you a week to voice, edit, and submit it. Please upload it to Soundcloud and post it to the blog by class time that afternoon along with a headline/title and your final script copied and pasted into the blog post. As a reminder, you are no longer required to submit a photo along with the story, although you are welcome to do so if you were able to find one, and you are no longer required to rewrite the script to make it readable for the web.
• Thursday, April 16. Pitches will be due for your final project, a 2-3 minute video news story, so start thinking now about story ideas—again, you’ll need to think creatively about video stories you can do under the circumstances. We will workshop your ideas as a class this day so have your pitches posted on the blog by class time.
• Tuesday, May 5. The rough cut of your video will be due by class time.
• Thursday, May 14. Last day of class: The final cut of your video assignment will be due by class time.

Intro to Video Journalism

With video, we build on the compositional techniques of photography and the structural, storytelling aspects of audio with one obvious additional element: Motion.

How does video storytelling for the web and mobile differ from TV and film?

• Need to be CLOSER to your subject. Web videos are smaller and more compressed.
• 20 percent of online viewers bail on a video within 10 seconds. So you don’t have a lot of time to grab your viewers and make sure they stick around.

How important is audio?

• Good audio is of paramount importance. If you have low-quality video and good audio, the video will still be watchable. If you have gorgeous visuals but terrible audio, it will not.

When is narration necessary?

Sometimes, you can let the subjects of your video tell the story all on their own — as long as you edit with care, presenting what they’ve told you in a way that makes narrative sense. One benefit of non-narrated videos is that they can feel more organic. There’s no disembodied voice stepping in to tell the story, which keeps the focus on the characters in the story.

But sometimes, for clarity’s sake or for stylistic reasons, narration is necessary, or text.

Narrated videos

Text-Narrated videos

These are more and more popular thanks to social media distribution because they automatically start playing as you scroll through your feed and they can be watched without sound.

Non-Narrated videos

 

Shooting Your Video

There are two main components to any video: your interviews and your B-roll. The rules of composition we learned for photography (thirds, colors, patterns, symmetry, etc.) all apply here, but you also need to keep an eye out for motion. Tracking shots involve following the action with your camera, while static shots involve keeping your camera still, but that doesn’t mean there’s no motion involved; you might just be letting the action go in and out of the frame.

What is B-roll? And what difference does it make?

A big difference.

Things to keep in mind while you’re shooting B-roll:

1. Shoot more than you think you’ll need.
2. Get a variety of shots. Close-up, medium, wide, detail shots, static shots, tracking shots.
3. Use a tripod whenever possible. If you don’t have one or you’re shooting in a mobile, chaotic situation, be resourceful about stabilizing your shots.
4. Think about your interviews and let them inform your B-roll shooting decisions. Look for shots that illustrate what the person is talking about.
5. Hold your shot longer than you think you need to. A good rule of thumb is to hold it for at least 10 seconds (AFTER it’s already steady).

Things to keep in mind when you’re shooting your interviews:

1. Frame the shot with your subject on one of the thirds, angled so that they’re looking slightly INTO the frame. Have them look at you, not at the camera, so be mindful of where you are sitting. It’s a bit intense when someone looks directly into the camera.

2.  If you’re working with a translator, be mindful that the subject will want to look at them, so make sure they are positioned in the ideal place to draw the person’s gaze.
3.  Prioritize good audio.
4.  Make sure their face is lit, but not too harshly.
5. Think about composing the shot in a way that allows for some negative space where the Lower Third will eventually go.

Obviously, you will be a bit limited in the types of video stories you are able to do at the moment. So here are some suggestions:

• ​Aim to find stories you can report at home or close to home. Interview people you are already in close contact with. There are also a ton of internet/social media stories right now because so much human interaction and creativity is unfolding virtually, so consider finding ways to report on this visually via screen recording tools.
•  Ask your sources to record video on their phones and send it to you. Make sure they orient their phones horizontally. This can include interviews you conduct over the phone or B-roll/video diaries done in the moment while your source is handing out free lunches at an NYC public school, teaching their child from home while struggling to work full-time from home, working a hospital shift, etc.
• Use the Screen Recording feature on your phones to record video from your phone screen, or select “New Screen Recording” in Quicktime to record video off your laptop screen. Use KeepVid to grab videos off of YouTube, if relevant to your story. (Make sure to attribute any videos you grab this way and make sure you only use short clips to stay on the right side of Fair Use.)
• Go out and film only if it’s filming you can do outside by going for a solitary walk or bike ride and from a distance of greater than six feet. Don’t use your wired lav mics to interview people in these situations. Under the circumstances, it’s okay if the audio isn’t perfect. Ask the person to speak up.

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. 

Host intro: (Growing concerns progress amongst the Baruch student population as the number of COVID-19 cases rises in New York City. This new virus, whose origins have been traced back to the foreign seafood market of Wuhan, China, infects the respiratory system of those who contract it causing illness and even death in the most severe cases. Some students are beginning to questions the actions of the administration, urging them to stay ahead of this imminent threat while others believe the situation is being handled effectively. Here’s reporter Dashawn Jones with the story.

AMBI1: (NATURAL SOUND 1: SNEEZING, COUGHING)

AMBI2: (ROOM TONE 1)

TRACK: As I enter the halls of Baruch Campus, a new uniform decorates the hands and faces of each student; medical face masks and latex gloves. News spread fast about the novel Coronavirus as the number of cases in New York City begins to rise. Baruch campuses, located in between lower and midtown Manhattan, have become the new epicenter for the 1000 cases that have been reported in the city. I stand with Julissa Brown, Baruch student, who believes the situation is being controlled.

ACT: I think the administration is doing a good job right now by informing us through emails to wash our hands and stay safe. I don’t think it’s a big deal right now or serious where coronavirus is concerned
TRACK: While Baruch administration has sent numerous emails on hygiene to prevent contracting the virus, Private colleges have begun to close their doors and switch to virtual courses for the remainder of the semester. Baruch’s responses to the epidemic have stirred up conversation among students, questioning if the actions are enough in an effort to keep the student population safe. Baruch student, Patrice Gonzalez thinks their efforts can be increased.

ACT: Honestly at the moment we have just been receiving a bunch of emails just basically having hygiene protocols but there have been other colleges who shut down their institutions in order to protect their students and their staff. I feel like that is something that Baruch should also take into considerations, following what other colleges are doing by just closing down the colleges until further notice.

TRACK: The Center for Disease Control reports that COVID-19 has a contraction factor of 2, indicating how quickly it can spread between individuals who come in contact with it. Is handwashing and sanitizing truly enough to help prevent the spread? Biology major, John Watson disagrees. Here’s his take on the severity of the epidemic.

 

I think COVID is much more severe than they are telling us and I think that washing our hands constantly before we do things is not enough. We need to practice social distancing we need to stay 6 feet apart.

TRACK: The students of Baruch seem torn between the actions of the administration however, one thing is certain. COVID-19 is a viral disease that has serious health implications. Failure to act now could lead to a spread among the students and put lives at risk. Not only each other but the individuals they come in contact with. The next few days will be crucial for understanding what the next steps Baruch will take to help prevent the exposure to the virus. “For Baruch College, this is Dashawn Jones in New York City.”

 

 

HOST:

The Coronavirus, which recently surpassed 100,000 cases worldwide and continues to infect new people daily, has required students at Baruch College to adjust their daily lives in order to remain unafflicted. Students have received a number of emails encouraging hand washing, to stay home if exhibiting flu-like symptoms, and to avoid the subway if possible. Reporter Kenneth Fremer              talked to Baruch students to get an idea of how they are coping with the virus.

AMBI1: Sound of students in Baruch

AMBI2: Room noise of office

TRACK: Joel Bautista, a student at Baruch, lamented losing the ability to hug his classmates when greeting them throughout the Coronavirus epidemic. Students have been encouraged to avoid handshakes, creating a sense of distance on-campus.

ACT1: “I usually hug people and they just want to elbow each other and that’s their way of saying hi… I’m like… I’m with that now, it’s not a big deal.”

TRACK: Students like Joel have begun to express concern over CUNY’s failure to close school facilities, as other campuses throughout New York City – which include Columbia University, New York University, and Fordham – have outlined a clear plan to shift towards hosting classes online. Petitions to close CUNY schools have garnered over 10,000 signatures within the past week.

ACT2: “They should definitely close it, ‘cause who knows? Maybe one student gets it and that spreads to a million, to the whole school. I wanna live, and I’m sure everyone else wants to, too. I think they should close it down.”

TRACK: On a broader scale, unclear government messaging and a lack of specific steps to be taken by city and state officials have left students without a strong sense of trust in public figures to fix the situation.

ACT3: “As long as they’re ordering strict things, so people don’t get any viruses y’know like cleaning and supplying hand sanitizer, that’s for the people, it’s their own people. Like take care of your own people. We want to live, so yeah.”

TRACK: As more cases of the Coronavirus spread throughout New York City, students are unsure of what the future may hold. Many professors at Baruch have started hosting classes online, but no official directive or outline has been given by CUNY regarding a timeline for a shift to online lessons. For Baruch College, this is Kenneth Fremer in New York City.

Host intro: Amid the coronavirus outbreak, people are getting more concerned about their health and safety. Jiayu Zhu spoke to a Sophomore student in New York City at Baruch College about what it’s like to live in New York at this moment and his attitude toward current issues.

 

AMBI: Group chat, student talking (FADE DOWN AS TRACK BEGINS)

AMBI: Room tone (LAYER UNDER TRACK)

 

TRACK: I’m here with Mark Morales at Baruch college, he is a sophomore journalism student at Baruch College.

 

ACT: Mark: As far as how the Corona Virus affects me, it hasn’t changed my daily responsibilities, but it affected the way I do my activities. Like, I still have to go to school, still have to take public transportation, but I am definitely a lot more conscious of touching anything in the subway, it’s very dirty, and now it’s a health hazard, added another layer to it.

 

TRACK: Now, public transportation is a major concern. Many people in New York City didn’t become aware of the danger of this virus.

 

ACT Mark: I’ve seen a coup of videos of people intentionally putting their saliva to the poll on the transportation, so that just makes me more worried. Honestly, I am probably just going to not touch anything, and hopefully, I just don’t fall when the train stops.

 

TRACK: The reason that Mark mentions the don’t fall when the train stops, is due to an accident that a Chinese girl was pushed down to the subway track days ago by an American African, because of wearing a mask. As the Corona Virus outbreaking in New York City, a wave of racism also begins.

 

ACT Mark: Fortunately, I don’t think affected by the virus as other people, because there have been racial attacks because of the virus, because of the thing that uninformed people don’t know how the virus is transmitting. It just makes people more violent, and it just has more dangers.

 

TRACK: Corona Virus keeps spreading out in the United States. As more violent racism issue has been brought, it’s essential now to get rid of the ignorance and be supportive of each other at this hardest time.  For Baruch College, this is Jiayu Zhu, wearing the mask.