The Paw Print

         One day in early July, Leighton Meester and Blake Lively strolled down Prince Street in SoHo while filming the hit CW television show Gossip Girl. Meester wore a gold mini shirt-dress with sneaker pumps and Lively wore a mostly grey maxi dress. Both were made up to perfection with hair that could withstand a hurricane.

         Yet the store they were entering, an accessories shop called Karen Millen, was advertising a “70% off” sale. Apparently, even Gossip Girls need a bargain these days to buy their new “it” bags.

        The recession has hit New York’s fashion market full force. Stylish women are trying to save their money by going to thrift stores and splurging on one-of-a-kind vintage finds instead of visiting trendy boutiques.

        This economic phenomenon has generated a new nickname for the bargain-hunting fashion plate: the Recessionista.

        In New York City, the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, according to the New York State Department of Labor; it has risen from 5.4 percent from June of last year. The city’s storefront vacancy rate is at 6.5 percent—the highest it has been since the beginning of the 1990s.              

         In SoHo, where many trendy boutiques were once located, one in ten retail spaces has been vacated or will be in the near future, according to Cushman & Wakefield, an international real estate firm.

         Beth Edwards, 27, who works at Free Boutique, a store selling new merchandise in nearby NoLita, confirmed the statistic with her own observations.

         “There’s been a steady decline” in customers buying from the pricier boutique on Mott Street, said Edwards. The shop opened in March 2008, right as the economy was crashing.

         Small, expensive stores like Free Boutique are facing competition from the consignment stores and thrift shops popping up all around them. Three different consigning locations have opened on Mott recently.

         One is Second Time Around, which opened in late June of this year. “There are definitely people buying consignment,” said employee Kelly Kaminska, 22. She thinks this trend is exploding because “people that consign make [money] and people who buy, save.”

         According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, the Recessionista who consigns her cast-offs can make back 40 percent to 60 percent of the  price she originally paid for the Ruffian Dresses, vintage Gianni Versace pieces, and Oscar de la Renta makeup bags she sells to stores like Second Time Around.

        Another discount—yet upscale—store that is threatening the profits of shops like Free Boutique is Use Your Head. The new store is associated with the SoHo Partnership, an organization that helps homeless people find work, and clothing is donated by designers like Marc Jacobs and Nicole Miller. Yet “certain items are a lot less than they should be,” said employee Gabrielle Mandel.

        Mandel, 22, explained that the store only opened the week of July 12. Although it’s a newcomer in the retail business, Mandel said the store had made around $300 in one day during its premiere week.

        This optimistic outlook is shared by many in the thrift-store business. NARTS said in a press release on August 3, 2009, that 64.1 percent of 263 thrift stores surveyed have seen an increase in second quarter sales compared to the same quarter last year. The average increase was about 31 percent.

       Both Kim Waldo of the Housing Works Thrift Shop in Gramercy Park and Paulo Vinlaun of Vintage, an inexpensive thrift store also in Gramercy Park, have seen the kind of sales increases NARTS had found among its members.

       “Thrift Stores are doing fabulous in this economy,” said Waldo, the assistant manager of the Housing Works shop.  Vinlaun said, “We’re selling more of almost anything.”

        But this doesn’t mean that all thrift stores are going bare due to massive amounts of buying. Even with their discount prices, thrift stores are feeling some pain as customers cut back. Erik Jornen, 47,, an employee at Reminiscence in Chelsea, said of a previous customer’s accessories purchase, “She would have bought both of those rings. Instead, she only bought one.”

        The Family Jewels Vintage Clothing, also in Chelsea, is in a parallel predicament. A staff member of the store, Candace Guttman, said that “summer is always a slow season.”

        Another employee offered an optimistic prediction. “Things in the fall always pick up. By Halloween we’ll be busting a nut,” she said.

As 16-year-old Mike Chan awakes to the unrelenting voice of his mother at 8:30 a.m. on another hazy summer Monday, he reluctantly gets out of bed. With only milk tea in his stomach, he grabs his black NorthFace book bag and leaves for the five to 10 minute train ride to Chinatown. He is headed for the same place he has gone for the past five summers—a tutoring center.   

The Chan’s have spent $1350 this summer for their son’s SAT course and have invested over $6500 for their son’s tutoring over the past five years. “If he’s willing to do well in the classes, then the money isall worth it,” said his mother, Yum Kum Lau, 52. “Besides, he plays too many computer games at home so tutoring is good for him.”        

Test preparation and tutoring has become a booming $2.5 billion industry in America. According to the United States Census Bureau, from 1997 to 2002 alone, receipts for the exam preparation industry grew a significant 134 percent nationwide.

In NYC’s Chinatown, it is not uncommon to find tutoring centers increasingly appearing and clustering alongside fish and grocery markets, banks, jewelry stores and restaurants. Workers can frequently be spotted among the bustling crowds, passing out flyers that boast a center’s success through lists of students who have achieved high SAT scores and acceptance into specialized high schools and Ivy League colleges.

           Tutoring has become a cultural trend in a neighborhood that is 64 percent Asian, according to the last decennial census. With three branches in Chinatown alone serving 400 to 500 students, Knugenx Learning Centeris an example of how popular and successful many academic centers have become in the area.

Karmen Ngai, one of the founders of Knugenx, recognizes the cultural aspect of tutoring. “I went to tutoring when I was a kid too,” said Ngai, 34. “The Christians have Sunday school, the Jewish have Hebrew school and the Asians have tutoring schools.”

With a traditional emphasis on education, many NYC East Asian parents, who are mostly immigrants, have enrolled their children in these tutoring centers. These parents spend up to and over $2000, depending on the time and subject of the course.

“Of course it’s going to be expensive,” said Kelly Li, 43, who  enrolled her 13-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter in tutoring this summer in Chinatown.”But you have to think of it this way, which is more important, money or your children’s education?” 

 According to the Poverty Release Report in 2008 from the Asian American Federation, 41 percent of NYC Asians were low-income and based on the Profile of New York City’s Asian Americans: 2005-2007, 21 percent of Asian children lived in poverty. Still, many parents are willing to spend the money so that their children can get the academic opportunities that were not possible for them in their own childhoods.

Ai Yue Yu, 49, has spent over $5000 in eight years on tutoring for her son. “I didn’t have a good education in China and I never went to college, so when I came to the U.S., I couldn’t get well-paying jobs,” shes aid. “I want my children to take advantage of schools and have a better life than I did.”  

 â€œIt’s the idea that you can become somebody through books,” said Teresa Hsu, the executive director at Asian American Communications, an educational advocacy group. “Parents believe that if you study hard, then the golden door is opened. It’s the American Dream.”

Hsu described how many of these parents feel obligated to send their children to tutoring simply because they see other parents doing the same. She also stressed that often, East Asian parents have their children concentrate too much time on their education and studying and not enough ontheir own personal enjoyments and interests.

 â€œIt’s traditional in Asian neighborhoods to think that school helps kids a lot. If they study in the beginning, they won’t lose in the future,” agreed Kevin So, 32, a teaching assistant at Nationwide Master, a test prep center on Grand Street.

Calvin He, 14, went to Nationwide Master last summer because his parents made him. He will be attending Stuyvesant High School, one of NYC’s specialized high schools, this September. He partly credits tutoring for his accomplishment, but also acknowledged that it had to do with personality as well. “I succeeded because I put effort into my learning and when I took the SHSAT, I did my best and gave everything I got,” he said.       

           â€œMy parents made me go to tutoring against my will, but it helped in the end,”said 17-year-old Allen Zeng. “Tutoring gives you a number of test-taking strategies and gets your mind used to test-taking conditions. It’s overpriced, but people have to make money somehow.”

But exam preparation in Chinatown does not always have to come with a price. Volunteers from non-profit organizations such as APEX and Chinatown Manpower Project Inc., provide free SAT prep to the NYC Asian American youth on weekends.        

 â€œI think if there are many organizations (likeAPEX) easily accessible, then it is not worth paying a lot,” wrote Ji Yeon Yi,the educational program manager at APEX, through e-mail. However, Yi described how the program has its limitations. APEX can only afford classes once a weekand some students or parents may want to attend more frequently.

Not all students agree that following this cultural trend is worth it.  â€œWhen you’re in a tiny classroom with a bunch of other teens, you’re bound to fool around or develop an interest greater than wanting to do better on the SATs,” said 16-year-old Wilson Tang. “I should’ve just stayed home and do practice myself.” 

And as for Mike Chan, these past years at tutoring have created mixed feelings for him. â€œBack then, the classes were actually motivating because I wanted to beat the smart students,” said Mike, “but thework and the teachers have become easier and more boring.” 

As a rising senior who is taking his final SAT test in October, Mike is completing his last tutoring course this summer. But if the trend continues, there will be many others to take his place.

$0$0$0$0 What comes to mind when you think of college? Meeting newfriends? Meeting important people? Visiting radio, TV, and media stations? No. I’m not going nuts. There are also midterms and stress and aggravation over finals. $0$0 I just got a chance do all of that and get the college experience through the program College Now at Baruch College. As a rising senior at Chelsea’s Fashion Industries High School, I wasn’t talking fashion this summer. My focus was something more that takes a bit more time. Writing. $0$0 $0$0The Paw Print: Since it was a college experience, did you choose a major?$0$0 $0$0Kaulani Gomez: My “major” was Journalism and I can truly say it was awesome! $0$0 $0$0TPP: How it was broken down?$0$0 $0$0KG: Our course consisted of a morning session where we mostly wrote and did writing exercises. We as a class got to do newspaper techniques and were visited by real people working in the many fields of the journalism world. $0$0 $0$0TPP: Did real college professors teach the class?$0$0 $0$0KG:  Well, our instructor Lauren Webber, was an editor at Newsday,and used to write occasionally for the LosAngeles Times and is coming out with her own book this September. So I think that gives anyone a first glance at what the journalism field is like that they actually work on it. I received advice by one of our guest speakers that “you should talk to someone that works in the field you’re interested in, not someone who teaches it” and i totally agree. The second instructor was a graduate student here at Baruch, who used to be Editor in Chief of the Baruch Magazine Dollars and Sense. $0$0 $0$0TPP: Where they helpful?$0$0 $0$0KG: Yes. They were both very helpful. I just think that the person who picked the instructors did a terrific job because they never complained, they were there to do their job and keep walking, and sometimes in regular school you don’t get that. $0$0 $0$0TPP: How is High School life is different from College Life?$0$0 $0$0KG: You’re just more grown up. I feel like in high school you’re babied way too much. Like they don’t really mean their words in the sense that they say if an assignment is due Tuesday 2^nd period, and like 3 people miss it, they have the chance to make it up tomorrow for less credit. College is a bit stricter. The teacher is not going to stalk you just so you would get the assignment done. Is also a bit more liberal and the people are way more mature than high school. $0$0 $0$0TPP: How are your classmates?$0$0 $0$0KG: I think they are all great. They are all very mature and very focused. And we’re all here for the same thing. Some like it more than others, but I guess it makes us all equal. I liked that there wasn’t any drama involved like in my high school. And that everyone is so easy to talk to. They are very nice people.$0$0 $0$0TPP: What did you learned from this experience?$0$0 $0$0KG: I learned that I get bored really easily and a lot about myself. All the little things that you miss that sometimes you think “ohh that looks cool” or “that sounds like something I would do” and then you try it and is something that you didn’t really think too deeply about. I learned that I’m very organized, that if I don’t agree with something, I will make my point across. That I get very nervous when I talk in front of the class and my mind kind of closes off. And that in the future I would like to work in a fast paced environment.$0$0 $0$0TTP: What would you say to future College Now “Undergrads”?$0$0 $0$0KG: Everything is possible in life, as long as you try it.And that you have to try on the dress before you can actually buy it. $0

A terrible typhoon has struck the Taiwan and China with fierce flooding and pounding gusts of wind. Typhoon Marokat struck Taiwan while causing the worst flooding the nation has seen in 50 years. $0 In its malevolent wake it has left dozens of people missing and possibly dead and the typhoon has toppled a six-story hotel. It earlier struck the Philippines, and has killed at least 21 people.$0$0 After it’s devastating attack on the Philippines, and on Taiwan, Marokat pushed onward to China’s eastern Fujian province carrying with it heavy rain and winds of up to 74 miles per hour, according to the China Meteorological Administration. $0$0 Marokat flooded villages, toppled housing, and forced nearly a million people to flee for their lives. Officials rode bikes to give out food to those who were trapped by rising waters. Marokat showed its strength by using its strong winds to uproot trees or just snapped them apart. At least one child died in the Zhejiang province after a house collapsed on him. However, Marokat is expected to weaken as it travels north at six miles an hour, said officials. $0

             “As a volunteer organization and a community with little numbers in the general population, it takes a lot of work and effort to take one step in raising awareness about our organization and our members. It is even more difficult when a two-hour program seems to throw us five steps back and overshadows years of work.”

            This statement from the Little People of America Organization’s Network for Change campaign was a response to an April 5, 2009 airing of “Celebrity Apprentice,” areality show where celebrities compete to become an apprentice to Donald Trump. 

Broken into two teams, the contestants were challenged to write, produce and edit a viral video for ALL laundry detergent. The team led by Melissa Rivers decided to work off of the“small and mighty” slogan by thinking of ways to use little people in the video, like letting them wash themselves in the detergent and hang on a clothesline to dry.  The word “midget” was used repeatedly, something the LPA finds offensive.

            The organization has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commissionstating that the word “midget” and other derogatory remarks towards little people is “offensive, obscene and/ or indecent.”  They believe their complaints fit the criteria the FCC uses to regulate “language so grossly offensive to members ofthe public who actually hear it as to amount a nuisance.”

            But what’s been described as a banning of the “M” word in the media is not the only goal the LPA is trying to reach by addressing the problem with “CelebrityApprentice.”

            “There’s a history of objectifying of little people in entertainment and it’s important to speak out so it does not happen,” said Gary Arnold, 38, the vice president of public relations for the LPA.

            Arnold and the LPA hope to increase awareness about the little people community.  Twenty-seven-year-old Joseph Anthony Stramondo, head of the advocacy committee at the LPA, has noticed a change in the LPA. .

            “LPA has finally started to push back against centuries of mockery,” Stramondo wrote in a post on his personal blog, PhilospherCrip.com. He goes on to say that the LPA has not always been this diligent in speaking out against the issues the little people community has to face.  Stramondo believes that the LPA is finally starting to step up to achieve the main goal of what the organization is about: bringing awareness to the public.

            “Our goal is to notify and educate before a show is aired which affects the dwarfism community in a negative way.  Address it before it becomes an issue,” wrote the LPA Mid-Hudson River chapter in a published statement. 

    The LPA is hopeful that by taking preemptory steps there will be fewer incidents like what happened on “Celebrity Apprentice.” In fact,there are current examples of little people represented positively on TV.  TLC has two shows that are centered on little people.

“These shows portray the reality of the lives of little people.” said Arnold.  “The Little Couple” and “Little People, BigWorld” are having a positive affect on how people of the little community are being portrayed on television.”

            “LittlePeople, Big World” follows the life of the Roloff family.  Mat and Amy Roloff, both little people, have three children.  Only one of their sons ,Zach, is also a little person.  His twin brother, Jeremy, is average height. Molly, the only daughter, is also of average height.

            “The LittleCouple” follows newlyweds Bill Klein and Jen Arnold;  the couple met on a dating site specifically for little people.  The show follows thecouple’s typical days and the challenges they face, like Mrs. Arnold needing all her business suits custom-made to fit her stature.

Meanwhile, the LPA is still trying to get the FCC’s attention by racking up supporters and raising awareness about the community.

            “Little people have social lives, jobs and get a regular education,” said Arnold.  “Little people are like everyone else.”

                                                                                                                                               

            Stephanie Rivera, a 16-year-old student at Gramercy Arts High School, will soon start filling out college applications, writing essays and attending college interviews. But these days, just as important as these academic rituals is the process of filling out financial aid and scholarship applications.

            “I’m willing to do anything in my power” to pay for college, said Rivera

            Students are showing that they are eager to go to college in order to achieve their goals but the recession has made it much more difficult for many people to afford higher education. Money has become as important as those college essays that students like Stephanie are trying to prefect in order to be admitted to the school of their dreams.

            As the recession drags on, many families are coming to realize they do not have enough money to pay full tuition. Students have begun to look for colleges that they will be able to afford, according to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. It is evident that the recession is playing a large role as students decide which college to attend.

            Because of the financial situation, students like Stephanie are willing to take on jobs themselves. “For college I plan on working and saving up my money,” she said. “My parents have stored up a little bit of money.”

            The issue for many students entering college during the recession will be paying anywhere from $13, 000 to over $45,000 for tuition. Colleges are still offering their need and merit aid packages, says Angela Conley, College Manger of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), an organization that helps high-achieving low-income New York City high school students enter the college that best suits them. But when asked about scholarships ,she replied “The New York Times previously awarded 20-plus$40,000 scholarships annually. This year they awarded only 12. The economy is adversely impacting every arena, especially education.”

            Every morning students like David Tovar, 17, take the train to their high schools.Currently attending the Urban Assembly School for Design and Construction, David has decided to pursue an architecture major.He has an A-plus average and his top choice is the University of Cincinnati.But when asked how he will pay for tuition, he responded “This is actually something that concerns me a bit. I do not know how I will pay for college. My only hope at the moment is earning a merit-based scholarship to pay for my education.

            Because there are many students in the same situation as Stephanie and David, many programs are being offered either inside or outside of school in order to offer students a chance at success. Conley says that “SEO, College Summit, MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow), Prep for Prep and some 1,500 agencies nationwide work to empower low-income, first-generation youngsters across the country, but even with these numbers, many are left outside the success arena.”

            Conley recommends that students look for such programs or visit guidance counselors in their schools that can offer college preparation courses. Students can also remain informed about tuition by using the Internet and applying to the Fastweb and College Board Web sites.

 

          “If I was white, I would have the world in my hand.” 

            The quote from a student essay was repeated throughout the class.

            “Yeah, because I have the world in my hand,” remarked the only Caucasian student, without permission. His darker peers erupted in laughter around him. It was just another afternoon in the pilot Black Studies Course offered at Baruch College.

            The course format is no different than the other seven College Now courses offered to incoming high school juniors and seniors. All courses run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Each day is broken up into two sessions. In the morning, students learn material in a classroom setting and after an hour of lunch, return for a workshop where they apply what they’ve learned. But it is the workshop that sets the Black Studies course apart from other subjects.

            “The most unique aspect is the afternoon piece, the leadership portion,” said Tony Davis, director of College Now and Collaborative Programs at Baruch College.

            This summer is the first time the Black Studies Course is being offered by College Now. The course is part of Baruch’s Male Initiative Program, a similar model to the City University of New York system’s Black Male Initiative launched in 2004.

            The BMI Task Force decided that black males in New York City endure patterns of discrimination which have profound consequences to their well being and security, most notably in education. “Our funders, CUNY central, are big on the fact that minority males are not attending high school,” said Davis. “This means they are not attending two-year or even four-year colleges.”

            College Now is designed so students are able to earn college credit, partially for their own advantage, but also to increase the number of youth who strive for higher education.  While CUNY’s BMI specifically targeted African American males, Baruch’s Male Initiative Program is more inclusive, employing equal effort to recruit Latino males.           

            “I asked school contacts to identify strong minority males,” said Davis, “and not strong as in academics but strong as in potential, males who can see something through.”

            The result was twenty-five seats filled by a diverse group of minority males, mostly Black and Latino, and even one Caucasian student. A majority of the students are friends who attend Eagle Academy for Young Men, a public all-boys school.

            The experimental course had a few setbacks, however, as students dropped from the program within the first week. “My expectation going in was for students to show up every day,” said Davis. “If I can get you here, everything can work.”

            Although it is an initiative to change the statistics, the course is by no means giving away college credit. In the morning class, taught by Dr. Regina Bernard-Carreno, students read passages from a textbook and are required to write essays and discuss the reading.

            “Once we had a five page essay and two projects to do in one week,” said Christopher Graham, 17.  

            With a Master’s in African American Studies from Columbia University and a PhD in Urban Education from the CUNY Graduate Center in New York, Dr. Bernard has the credentials to teach the course.

            The afternoon professor has fewer academic degrees, but he has  credentials of a different kind – the ability to facilitate discussions about issues important to the students’ lives.

            “Mr.Davis doesn’t consider himself a teacher, so it’s more of a cool environment,”said Latif Elam,16.

            Since July 6, Davis has led the workshop with a goal: self development.

            “The message we relay to students is that in six weeks, you’ll develop some of your  weaknesses, you’ll continue to build your strengths but you can’t do that until you realize what those are,” said Davis.

             In the first three weeks, ice-breakers, group discussions and writing samples were used to help students build relationships with each other. “I want the trust built in week one to continue [and for] students to be comfortable to debate a topic they are passionate about,” explained Davis.

            The course curriculum extends beyond text, as students watch clips from The Lion King and Tip Drill to analyze racism in the media. “I’m a visual learner,” said Craig Robinson, 16.

            But are text and movie clips enough to change a statistic?

            “The goal of the course is to change the paradigm of students, to open up their minds: how they relate to other races, to learn from the past and to apply it to the present,” said Timothy London, 21, the course’s student mentor. “Who is being affected by the course? Externally I can’t say, but internally -everyone.”

            A bold initiative is never without opposition. In 2007, Michael Meyers, executive director of the Civil Rights Coalition of New York, argued that the Black Male Initiative violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination by colleges and universities that receive federal assistance.

            “Anytime you start to treat Blacks separately simply because of their skin color or because of their sex, that is stereotyping; that is separatism, which the law does not permit,” said Meyers to “Diverse Education,” an online education magazine.

            Meyers also argued that CUNY’s BMI was stereotyping Blacks as at risk. “Such racial and gender stereotypes are thinly veiled paternalism, and deeply offensive, as well as reflective of nasty segregationist habits and used as a proxy and justification for separating and treating Black male youth differently from all other students,” said Meyers.

            Meyers filed a lawsuit against the CUNY system. The lawsuit is still pending.

            Meyers faulted the BMI for its limited accessibility, but Davis is confident in Baruch’s initiative.“[The Male Initiative] was never planned to segregate one group or to discriminate another.”

            The students in the Black Studies course seem satisfied with the demographics of their class. “It’s better,” said Jorge Clase, 17, “We learned about feminists and how the women were affected by slavery and we learned to fix how we approach women.”

            While it’s difficult to track concrete results, people are hopeful. “It’s worth it even if just one student walks away changed,” said London.

            In the afternoon workshop students engaged in open discussion; with no notebooks out, students openly voiced their opinions and laughed whenever something struck their funny bone.

           On one particular afternoon, students discussed quotes from their assignment, a250-word essay in which students wrote from the perspective of another ethnicity.

            Students dove into subjects, immersed in conversation, but Davis always brought them back when it was time to move on to the next topic. Even with the commotion, he paced in front of the classroom, making eye contact and hand gestures. Students shushed each other when Davis talked and at times of revelation, there were moments of silence.

            Then he spoke again.

            “Say your opinion,” Davis told his students, “It’s okay. This is family here.”                          

$0$0$0$0“It’s the fable about a thirsty crow. The bird comes acrossa pitcher with the water level too low for him to reach. The crow raises thewater level by dropping stones into the pitcher. (Moral: Little by little doesthe trick, or in other retellings, necessity is the mother of invention.)” – Associated Press$0$0Being a Social Science Research major, I am fascinated with behavior. I am only interested in the New York Times for its Science Times Tuesday’s section. While browsing my email, I came across this interesting article by the Associated Press. Being such an official brand, I never read anything from the AP becauseI thought it would either be a) too intelligent for me to comprehend or b) too boring for me to stay interested.$0$0But on Thursday, I came across the article “Bird experiment shows Aesop’s fable may be true” which spoke about an amazing scientific revelation – maybe it’snot just primates that use tools, maybe birds do too.$0$0It’s a bit hard to believe, but scientists have found that rooks are capable of using tools. In one observation, a worm was in a pitcher of water and exposed to a hungry crow. The crow used little pebbles to increase the volume of the water, causing the worm to rise to the surface.$0$0“Christopher Bird of Cambridge University and a colleague exposed the rooks to a 6-inch-tall clear plastic tube containing water, with a worm on its surface. The birds used the stone-dropping trick spontaneously and appeared to estimate how many stones they would need. They learned quickly that larger stones work better.” – AP$0$0Wow, it definitely amazed me that birds would actually be able to estimate how many stones they needed. I wouldn’t know what to do… $0$0But in the midst of being amazed… I realized why humans were superior. The bird may have been able to use tools to get what it needed, even calculate how manystones to use… but if it were me….$0$0$0I would’ve just knocked the pitcher over, made a mess and got the worm – no math.$0$0I never did fit the stereotype.$0$0$0

 Flying frogs,miniature deers and a new monkey. These animals can be thought to be part of a futuristic book. But in reality they are just three of the 353 new species that were found in the eastern Himalayas.$0$0It is unimaginable that such species can exist out there without being discovered by anyone. The flying frog has webbed feet that allows it to glide when it is falling, the miniature deer is said to be about 60-80 centimeters in height and the new monkey is a new species of macaque. Also a rare species of earthworm, like creatures called caecilian, were found.$0$0There has been deforestation, extreme climate changed and illegal poaching which is said to be causing the change in these species. The Himalayas is home to a wide variety of species and they’re still some that are unknown to the world. Not only animals, but different plants have also been found in the region.$0$0This leads to the question of how many other species can be found. It also may lead to a gateway of trying to find other creatures that have been said to be mythical like the Loch Ness monster. It does not seem impossible for animals to hide from people. But if there really are other species, then the number could be unimaginable.$0$0

$0$0$0$0ZZZZ. ZZZZZZ. My phone vibrates at exactly 5:33 a.m. as I get ready to wake up to be part of the VIP audience for the Good MorningAmerica show. I was debating for a good ten seconds whether or not I should attend the show, but because I was already awake, I thought there was no turning back. $0$0It was early; in fact it was a bit too early to even head towards my bathroom. But I gathered enough “energy” to do so as I crept out of bed, while my whole household was sleeping away the minutes and dreaming in another dimensional world.$0$0Rushing to take the train, I grabbed a french vanilla cappuccino and a toasted cinnamon raison bagel with cream cheese to go. I thought it was so weird to be at the train station around 6 a.m. on a summer day–that never happens. EVER. But there’s always a first for everything, so I neither complained nor wasted my energy attempting to complain. $0$0As the hour handle starts to make its way to the 7 on a typical watch, I am finally on the set of the Good Morning America show and I realized why it’s actually called that. And it hit me that as I am setting foot on the studio, people are waking up to the show’s segments on T.V. in their comfy pajamas with a coffee in their hands. $0$0But I didn’t care because I was treated like a VIP guest, although the title is a bit more than what it seems. The tour lasted for 5 minutes maximum, which consisted of nothing but an in and out walk through two doors. However, I did enjoy the presence of Samantha, the audience coordinator, who somehow had a natural charm that enlightened the audience without even trying. $0$0What I took away from this experience was the fact that many people look forward to being part of the audience for a show like GMA and having to wake upearly does not stand as an obstacle to some people. I realized that some people love their jobs no matter how early they have to get up or no matter how structured their jobs are. $0$0The people on set seemed passionate and full of life. They seemed to take their jobs seriously and still find enjoyment within the early morning. It was pretty cool to walk out at 9 a.m. in the middle of Times Square and breathing in the fresh air that the morning brings because technically the morning does start early. Bright and early, earlier than most of us imagine, or want it to be. Just like the Good Morning America show.$0$0$0