Multimedia Reporting Fall 2019

Final Video Project

 

Complete your Resolution by: Evan Jamal

The New Year is just around the corner, time to bring out the same old resolution of “Im going to lose weight this year.” We say this every year and never get to it. Usually the reasons are, not having the time, not knowing where to start, and not being able to afford a workout plan. What if I told you there is an actual solution to all your problems and it is affordable.

Here comes, Enriched Fitness. Founder and CEO Ricardo Narcisse has been an avid body builder for the last 3 years and used that love for working out to become a licensed trainer. He created Enriched Fitness in May of 2019, to help people get to their ideal bodies. Ricardo has an app called enriched fitness where you can sign up for his program. He has workouts created for men and women. Prices are based on the weeks you sign up for, the cheapest is $100 for 8 weeks and the most expensive is $120 for 12 weeks. All plans are customizable and he gives you a diet list with food and recipes needed for your desired training program.

Unlike most trainers giving the same old pitch about why you should sign up and get in shape, Ricardo takes a different approach. He uses his own life to tell customers why they should sign up for personal training and getting in shape at all. “I suffered from depression, suicidal thoughts, life wasn’t easy, but when I first started working out I couldn’t stop” Ricardo grew up in Queens Village, and he saw a lot in his life growing up. Losing friends in gang violence, family struggles, etc. these led to anxiety and depression, but when he stepped in a gym for the first time he was addicted. “Focusing my energy on working out relaxed me, and helped me to forget whatever I was going through at the time.” He uses his life stories as a way to tell potential customers the power of working out and training your body. He wants people to experience that euphoria that you feel when the blood is pumping to your muscles. “The feeling of being pumped up and all your muscles flexing, feeling and looking good after a great workout, I can’t even begin to explain the feeling.”

Enriched Fitness, is owned by Ricardo Narcisse. He’s a trainer like no other. Of course he wants to make money from this venture as it is his livelihood, but what he enjoys the most is when his clients see the progress. He loves when his clients stick it out and finish the program, because the whole-hearted joy that comes from knowing you were able to change yourself for the better, its unexplained and pure bliss. With New Year’s right around the corner don’t make another resolution that you will not follow through with. If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, why not choose Enriched Fitness, Ricardo Narcisse will guide you all the way to your ideal body, all you need to do is take the first step.

Eddie’s Sweet Shop — Final Video Project

Eddie’s Sweet Shop brings sweet delight to Forest Hills almost 100 years later

By Yasmeen Persaud 

The ice-cold, retro and neon bright light scene from the 2019 Hollywood film Isn’t it romantic, isn’t from a traditional Hollywood set — it’s from a traditional ice cream shop. 

Eddie’s Sweet Shop, located in the quiet and vintage neighborhood of Forest Hills in Queens, has been around for almost 100 years. 

The sweet treat location cycled through three owners, Owner Vito Citrano the fourth one. His father purchased the place in 1968, after only having experience at a pizzeria. 

“This place was available for sale and he bought it, and the other owner showed him the way, showed him how to make all the ice cream, syrups and toppings, and we perfected it from there,” Citrano said happily. 

The family-owned location has earned its reputation as being a popular place for an after school snack, or early morning treat. Customers are welcomed to a shop that keeps up with the past by incorporating designs from the 1920’s and 30’s. 

With endless options for ice cream flavors and toppings, the sweet shop caters to all customers. Originally, the shop included 6 flavors and has now expanded to 18, with even more room to grow. 

“What we do for certain customers, is what we do for all our customers it’s whatever they want if we ever change a flavor which is very very rare, they all get upset at me so we always bring it back and never try to change things,” Citrano stated.

The amount of Hollywood films shot at Eddie’s stands at around 30, not including commercials. While this number is impressive, what stands as even more substantial is the sweet shop’s dedication to keeping things humble and vintage. 

One of the first electric refrigerators houses homemade ingredients while the stools responsible for comfortable conversation are 100 years old. The shop captures an era that can only be described through textbooks. 

“All the fixtures are pretty much the same,” Citrano said while discussing the shop’s originality. 

Citrano describes seeing multiple generations entering the shop, showing a major change over the years. With customers shifting, the source of ingredients shifted as well. 

“It was easy to source great quality ingredients back then because it was mom and pop shops back then, but not like that anymore, they’re big companies,” Citrano said. 

While Citrano does describe that change in quality of ingredients over the years, the desire to keep the shop and purpose the same has acted as inspiration and momentum. 

“I grew up here. To me it’s just like normal, to other people they’re surprised, and especially older-aged people, they love it because they remember how it was when they were a child,” he stated.