Author: CRYSTAN SALUCCI

 

The film, “Extremis”, was extremely personal and undoubtedly emotional to watch. I enjoyed how up-close the filmmakers got to the families and patients in the hospital, most of who are grappling with impending loss and unimaginable decisions. From the very first scene, the viewer is hooked by the doctor trying to communicate with the patient and telling her if they take the breathing tube out she may die. Then it cuts to absolute chaos, a scope inside the behind the scenes of the hospital’s ICU. I think the dramatic pauses in the opening scenes are extremely effective, creating suspense, and the background music creating despairing angst.

Personally, I have not been to the hospital many times, other than visiting the delivery center, which is, for the most part, a joyous section in hospitals. That being said, this film created a window for me, as the viewer, as a look inside the realities of what is the ICU. Aside from being a window into the ICU, it also gives the background stories of the families dealing with life and death decisions of their loved ones. The film displays the utter emotional toll of trying to make these decisions in such a highly impassioned situation.

I also enjoyed watching the doctors work, and coming together to figure out the best treatment for patients without family and to making decisions for them. I give the doctors so much credit for it is such a difficult job to decide the fate patients who are unable to decide for themselves. This film was hard to watch but, it was an extremely moving rendition of the ultimate, unavoidable part of life: death.

I am close to someone who is a pre-planning funeral consultant. She works at many funeral homes/burial grounds around Orange County, CA and helps people pre-plan their own funerals, as well as those of loved ones in finding/ purchasing burial plots, etc. Although it sounds like a morbid job, she finds joy in her work everyday through helping people through an inevitable, yet avoided process in life. I think it would be interesting to get a look in on her daily life in a career that not many people are aware of.

HOST INTRO: Teachers across the country have attracted scrutiny through the polarized views of whether students should return to in-class learning or remain virtual. Crystan Salucci spoke to one teacher who has had not only a different experience, but who has acquired viral admiration through a video one of his students uploaded of him on the social platform: TikTok.

AMBI: Nat sounds of pouring coffee into a mug. (FADE DOWN AS TRACK BEGINS)

TRACK: I’m here with Mike Barton at his home in Huntington Beach, CA as he brews himself a cup of coffee. Mike is a math and business teacher here at La Quinta High School. He has been teaching his students online from his kitchen table for the last year and a half.

ACT: MIKE BARTON: What I love about being a teacher is being around the students and actually-learning with them, and learning under a different capacity. Though I never thought I’d be a teacher, and I wasn’t “Mr. Studious” all the time, I just really-embraced as I got older appreciating learning with the students, and then also coaching and being around them.

TRACK: He says teaching from home lacks what he loves most about teaching: being in the classroom with his students.

ACT: MIKE BARTON: You can’t directly give that personal touch to the students individually. You realize that they’re not reaching out as deep as they should be because they’re in the situation that they’re in. So, I think not being able to literally and physically walk up to a student and stand next to them and help them, kind of guide them through a problem and talk to them and nurture them while they’re doing it is, I think, candidly missed.

TRACK: Despite the overwhelming backlash teachers have received over the last year, he says he hasn’t experienced any scrutiny himself but, respects the teachers and families who are avoiding in-class instruction to ensure safety.

ACT: MIKE BARTON: A lot of families are stuck in their apartments and stuff, there could be 1, 2, 3 families stuck in an apartment with grandma, and they can’t afford to get grandmother sick. So, they’re paranoid as hell, as well as being a very compliant culture when it comes to coming back school. So, you got to honor and respect the people that want to be ultra-safe for coming back to school, but I think most teachers really-want a normal classroom again. I mean, it’s a challenge to, you know, be by yourself all the time.

TRACK: He says although he received overwhelming admiration for the TikTok of him teaching from the hospital after being stung by a stingray, it is a situation he considered to be fairly-simple.

ACT: MIKE BARTON: I think in all honesty it was just an admiration, it was just a situation that happened, and it was just, to be honest with you, it was more of a hassle to get a sub than it was to do what I was doing. And I figured if I could be anywhere teaching virtually, why not just kind of be there and just to kind of give them that asynchronous time they were doing.

TRACK: As the struggle continues between virtual and in-person classes, teachers everywhere continue to adapt to these unprecedented conditions while educating their students to the best of their abilities. For Baruch College, I’m Crystan Salucci.

https://soundcloud.com/crystansalucci/practice-radio-assignment

HOST INTRO: With the start of the corona virus pandemic putting millions of people out of work, professionals without an income have shifted their professional paths to make a living. Crystan Salucci spoke to one young professional who was laid off amidst the first weeks of the pandemic, that has now changed his path to accept any given opportunity.

AMBI: Nat sounds of plates and silverware clanking (FADE DOWN AS TRACK BEGINS)

TRACK: I’m here with Brodie Barton at his home in Huntington Beach, California as he’s finishing up dinner with his family. Brodie is a Kansas University business graduate, and former employee of corporate America. Since being laid off, he now spends his days in a warehouse working for a new start-up company called Craftwork Designs.

ACT: BRODIE: I broke my lease at the end of December since I lost my job, I figured I couldn’t afford the rent in New York, especially living in the city. So, I moved to Texas where I thought I had a better opportunity, and after several weeks it turned out things didn’t really pan out to what I thought it would be. So, I ended up driving all the way back to California to live with my parents and now I’m working at the warehouse trying to save money again.

TRACK: He says even though he has no experience in working in a warehouse, it was an opportunity that he couldn’t turn down.

ACT: BRODIE: I lost my job due to the pandemic in early March and I was basically struggling for about a year and a half before I found my next job which, it was basically the first job that I took or that I could find. I have no background or anything but it’s in warehouse management so due to the overwhelming bills from the pandemic I had to take the first job I could get.

TRACK: He says this big move and drastic change in his job description have actually rendered its fair share of positive attributes.

ACT: BRODIE: I actually like it a lot. When I was in a suit, I was in New York City during the summer time so, it happened to be super hot and wearing multiple layers doesn’t really agree with 110-degree weather. So, now I get to wear pretty much whatever I want to work since were in a warehouse so, it’s definitely a lot more comfortable.

TRACK: The pandemic has dealt out its fair share of obstacles to professionals everywhere. A year after the pandemic forced so many into unemployment, people continue to heal and repair their financial wounds. For Baruch College, I’m Crystan Salucci.

I have recently moved to Dallas, TX, and have noticed the striking differences between how the pandemic is being regarded by residents of Dallas compared to those of New York. Restaurants, stores, etc. all have restrictions set in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 but, there is a lack of importance in practicing these guidelines by some patrons.

So, for my photo essay I was thinking of doing a series of photos of the nightlife/weekend life of the young people of Dallas. Whether it is standing on line to get into a bar not wearing masks, roaming a restaurant or bar without masks, and the lack of social distancing practiced here in these popular spots.

I think this is an interesting topic because of how different COVID is handled here. I think the photos would be eye opening, especially to those who have been in a place like New York for the last year or so. I plan to follow my group of friends that live here in Dallas around, photograph them on a normal weekend out, get photos of the people not wearing masks with signs that say “masks required” in the background.

Being that I have just recently moved to Dallas, and can spot these major differences in COVID-19 restrictions, I think these photos would really illuminate the polarized mentality regarding the virus state to state.