The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

BERNARDO MALATESTA

Momix Dancer-Illusionists Blow New York Audience Away

by Leave a Comment

Momix dancers received a standing ovation as their show came to an end July 12 at the Joyce Theater as the dancers stood there with sweat dripping down their faces,

The audience clapped with enthusiasm rewarding the dancers for their impressive performance. All the clapping recognized the infinite amount of hard work the dancers had to put in toward performing well.

The Momix company was created 37 years ago and has been traveling the world showing off its skills ever since. The founder and artistic director is Moses Pendleton.

He has been managing dancers and their shows all over the world for about 40 years including the Opening Ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Now, people line up in front of the theater in Chelsea waiting anxiously to see his artistic creation.

The company considers itself to harbor a new type of dancing known commonly as dancing-illusionism. As they’re performing there is a strange type of music playing in the background.

At this specific show, named “Opus Cactus”, the music was of a Middle Eastern and Indian style but it had no words. All the music consisted of was instrumental sounds and vibrations.

It is almost impossible to describe the crazy movements that go on upon that stage.The dancers pretend to be animals and then the curtain closes. When the curtain reopens the dancers are swinging from ropes all over the stage with a huge skull moving around behind them. The stage glows with dim lights and the muscular performers move the audience using only their bodies and their imaginations.

 

America’s Rejected People Struggling for a Chance

by Leave a Comment

Imagine not being able to hug your parents for over a decade. Imagine being scared to go home and having all you’ve worked for taken from you.

Mery (her last name will be excluded for privacy reasons) is an undocumented citizen living in New York. She is originally from Ecuador but has been in the United States for almost 16 years. Mery, like many other undocumented citizens, lives in fear in a country where she thought she could have a great life. Her dream has become her worst nightmare. The struggles of illegal immigrants in the U.S. are extreme. No matter what kind of person they are, they’re limited in what they can do for themselves and for their loved ones.

Mery was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, in the mid nineteen hundreds. Her family wasn’t rich but they were able to provide her with decent schooling and discipline. She grew up playing basketball and loving sports. She would wake up early in the morning to play basketball so that she also had time for the homework she was given. She was at the top of her class and always worked hard.

“I was offered many scholarships to play basketball in universities all over Ecuador.” But she decided it was best to stay in Quito for college. She worked as a teacher for elementary school, middle school and high school. She also became a gym teacher and a coach to help kids develop their love for sports the way she did. She was facing a good life in her own country but it wasn’t enough for her. She wanted to make the most out of what she had, so Mery decided to get a working visa and come to New York City.

When Mery arrived she looked for work as a Spanish teacher or a gym teacher but no one would hire her because her university degree from Ecuador meant nothing in the United States. In desperation she had her friend help her find work as a housekeeper, taking care of an elderly woman. All was fine for the first year until she was told that she had to renew her visa. “I didn’t know I had to renew it. 9/11 had just happened and I was scared that I would get sent back to Ecuador. I was still hopeful for the future.” She was now an undocumented citizen living in a difficult country. According to globalcitizen.org, immigrants in the United States face challenges such as; difficulties securing work, difficulties securing and owning housing and troubles accessing services. Pewhispanic.org says, “The 2007 median household income of unauthorized immigrants was $36,000, well below the $50,000 median household income for U.S.-born residents.” It’s fair to see that being an undocumented resident of the U.S. is not an easy life.

She continues to work as a nanny and has been lucky enough to find a family that has employed her for almost all of the 15 years she’s been here. Mery is happy now but as the kids grow up and get older, as much as they may love her and consider her family, Mery is needed less and less. She’s looking for work and part time jobs. But there is little happiness or hope for the future in the life of an illegal American, no matter how amazing or law abiding you are. “I don’t regret coming here. I love my family and I love the family I work for. I’m happy and for me that’s all that’s important. I hope that in time people will realize that I’m a good person and I just want to be part of society like everyone else” she says.