The Paw Print

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

Featured

A View of The Bridge

by

Photo from Wikimedia
Photo from Wikimedia

Each year, tourists come by the multitudes to see the iconic view of the New York skyline from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. However, the world famous Promenade’s view of the Brooklyn Bridge is now at risk of being obstructed.

The real estate company Toll Brothers is building a large condominium and hotel project called the Pierhouse on the Brooklyn waterfront. Many feel that the building, which has been under construction for two years, has obstructed the Promenade’s view for almost a year. A group of Brooklyn Heights residents, called Save The View Now (STVN), claims that the Toll Brothers have broken their agreement, made nearly a decade ago, not to block the view.

For many, the view from the Promenade is priceless. One Brooklyn Heights resident describes the view as “breathtaking.” Another resident said, “It’s iconographic. It’s world famous. It’s very special.”

In 2006, the Brooklyn Heights Community Board approved the Toll Brothers’ plans. According to the Brooklyn Paper, the two parties agreed that the building would not exceed a height of one hundred feet, in order to maintain the Promenades view of the world famous bridge. However, since September of 2014 disputes have been made as to the exact height of the building.

On their website, STVN states, “The Pierhouse is obstructing the iconic views of the historic Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Skyline and is inconsistent with the plans presented to the community in 2006 – 2006. Working together is the only way to stop the Pierhouse from completely obstructing these scenic vistas.”

Toll Brothers and their supporters claim that the Pierhouse’s construction meets the 2006 agreement. According to the Brooklyn Heights Blog, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, which has overall control of the project, said, “[T]he buildings on Parcels A and B [the Pierhouse buildings] will fully comply with the height limits in the 2006 General Project Plan (GPP). “

In the meantime Brooklyn Heights remains divided over the issue. While many residents vehemently oppose construction of the Pierhouse project, some approve. Some residents support the Pierhouse because it has in part financed the popular Brooklyn Bridge Park. One resident on the Brooklyn Heights Blog commented, “(T)here is no park without this development. Remember, the park has to be self sustaining. Thank goodness that the BBP was able to attract multiple bidders for this space enabling them to select superstar companies like Starwood and Toll Brothers to develop the space.”

In April, the STVN filed a lawsuit over the Pierhouse’s obstruction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Last June, Judge Lawrence Knipel of the Brooklyn Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, despite having sympathy for the STVN argument. According to the New York Law Journal, Judge Knipel said, “The casual passerby walking along Brooklyn’s majestic Promenade is struck with an indelible impression that these buildings, now nearing completion, are simply too large.”

However, he later asserted that it was “undeniable” that the buildings had remained at the height agreed upon in 2006. The 2006 height limit of one hundred feet only pertained up to the roof, not to the roof top structures. On their website, Brooklyn Bridge Park affirmed their claim by saying that the Empire State Development Corporation, New York’s chief economic department agency, had approved the plan for rooftop structures.

After the ruling, the STVN pledged to continue their fight against the Pierhouse project by appealing. However, given the Judge Knipel’s conclusive ruling, chances seem slim for a successful lawsuit. It seems likely that the Pierhouse Project will be a new part of the view from the Promenade.

 

 

 

Map Shows How Inaccessible City Subways Are

by

subway-wheelchair-map-14337699811

 

The NYC Subway system has 468 stops. Less than 100 of those stops are accessible to people with physical disabilities.

According to the MTA website, in 2014 daily ridership on the subway was about 5.6 million. This number has only increased since then. Of those 5.6 million riders, about a million of them are disabled. They are in wheelchairs, walkers, or canes and are unable to use the stairs.

Matthew Ahn, a 24 year old lawyer, created a map on which the accessible stations are highlighted and non-accessible stations are removed. There is an obvious discrepancy between the amount of accessible and non accessible stations. For example, there are eighteen stations between 34th and 66th streets in Manhattan that are accessible which is more stations than in all of Queens and all of the Bronx. Disabled passengers traveling to the outer boroughs are going to have a hard time.

The MTA often encourages disabled passengers to use the bus system instead but as Ahn says on his blog, “The bus system is set up more to complement the subway system than to handle standard commuting patterns, and it is generally neighborhood-based and might require multiple transfers to ride between boroughs.” The bus system might not provide the same level of reliability that the subway system will. Although the city has Access-a-ride buses, they have a history of showing up late and unreliability.

At the Hunts Point station in the Bronx, 51 year old Nancy, who is in wheelchair, waits for the Manhattan bound 6 train at 8:30 a.m. “I leave my house at 7:00 a.m to take the train now” she says. Nancy lives near the Pelham Bay Park station, which is currently undergoing construction so it’s not wheelchair accessible. Nancy has to make her way to the Bx5 bus stop to take it to Hunts Point. “It’s hard for me and it’s ridiculous that so few stops in the Bronx are accessible to people with physical disabilities.” Nancy thinks the city should focus more on making more stations wheelchair accessible than installing Wi-Fi underground.

The MTA is not completely at fault for the lack of accessibility city wide. They suffered a series of budget cuts, thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo. According to StreetsBlog, Cuomo said that MTA budget was “bloated” and he cut state contribution to the budget.

More needs to be done to make the city more accessible. The state needs to grant the MTA more money for their budget and the MTA needs to make it a priority to improve the accessibility of all subway stations. Until then, people like Nancy will have to rely on buses to take them to other train stations.

The Microscopic Pool Predator

by Leave a Comment

pool_parasitesWhen it comes to the scorching heat of the summer, the free recreational pools in New York City are paradise. However, these pools can also become people’s worst nightmares. When some toddlers accidently release diarrhea, microscopic parasites can effortlessly slither across the pool until they meet their new host: you.
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in outbreaks of a parasite called Cryptosporidium—a chlorine-resistant parasite that lives in animals’ and people’s intestine and is transmitted by feces. “Crypto has become the leading cause of swimming pool-related outbreaks of diarrheal illness,” the CDC website stated. Between 2011 to 2012, there were over 90 , resulting in 1,788 illnesses, 95 hospitalizations and one death, according to the website.

People who have weak immune systems are affected the most because it will take them a longer time to recover from the side effects such as cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

After coming out of the Sunset Park pool, twenty-year-old Robin was the only one who did not want to go into swimming pools after hearing about the parasite. Because he has a weak immune system, he said, “I don’t want to put my health at stake for just a good swim in the summer. I feel really painful when I am sick.”

Other than that, most people who were interviewed at the Sunset Park pool found the parasite disgusting but would still go to the pool.

Michelle Chen, a camp volunteer, stated that her students visit the Sunset Park pool every week and she often has to get in the water to supervise them. “Honestly, I did not notice anyone getting sick so I would still go into the pools. I don’t think this will stop people because the pools are the main attractions in the summer,” she said.

Two siblings were shocked when told about the parasite. However, after thinking for a moment, they concluded, “this won’t stop us because the pool is free and is near our house.”

Pei Xia, a mother of two kids, said she heard about the parasite on the news and learned that “the parasite will be gone from the body in about two to three weeks.” So without any hesitation, she signed her son up for free swimming lessons at the Sunset Park pool, knowing that the parasite was not extremely dangerous.

For those who insist on swimming in public pools, the danger of the parasite can be reduced by following the hygiene rules. Everyone has little amounts of fecal matter on their bottoms so doctors on MedicineNet.com recommend people take showers before and after swimming, wash hands and avoid swallowing pool water.

People should refrain from swimming if they have diarrhea. This is extremely important for children or babies in diapers. Michelle added, “Even if little kids are sick, they would still go in the water.” She said that parents have the responsibility to make sure their children are not sick before entering pools in consideration of the public’s health.

For many New York City residents who rely on the free pools to stay cool in the summer, a tiny parasite will not stop them from dipping into the water but everyone should take care of their own hygiene before swimming. New York City citizens are suggested to check for more information on Cryptosporidium and ways to swim safely this summer.




New York Tech August 2015 Opens Door for High School Students

by

unnamed
From left to right: Miranda Cheikan, Taylor Li, Leslie Bresnahan, Anya Hargil, Gianna Gomez

Every month, professionals from all parts of the New York technology community meet up to support the growth and diversification of the city’s technology industry at New York Tech Meetup. NYTM is a community-led organization supported by its members, who created it to allow companies to network to further their businesses. On August 4th, 2015, another meeting took place at the NYU Skirball Center For The Performing Arts, where in two hours, more than ten companies presented demos on new apps or devices that could be used by the public eventually.

Different companies joined to present live demos from companies developing new technology in New York. Some companies were developing applications that performed a variety of tasks such as providing treatment for addiction and dependence disorders or apps that develop text-to-video technology that allow publishers to make informative video summaries in seconds.

While the Tech Meetup helps publicize companies like Wibbitz, the meetup also allows high school students to present their demos as well.

Students from Stuyvesant High School presented Vynl, and TLDR.

Vynl is an application created by Eric Z. Chen, Andrew Fischer and Daniel Zabari, that takes the role of a DJ, while allowing users to collaboratively create playlists at a social gathering. During their presentation, three students provided the audience with a link to demonstrate how many people can contribute to one playlist at the same time with ease. The song choices brought some in the audience to laughter, as many added works by Fetty Wap or Neil Young.

TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) is a chrome extension that allows users to have articles summarized and saved for later reading, or studying created by Leslie Bresnahan, Miranda Chaiken and Anya Hargil. This extension highlights key words and saves them defined as a study tool. Afterwards, the young women said that their idea was inspired by the workload they were given. “We had this teacher that would assign us like 40-page readings in one night,” said Bresnahan, who will attend Brown University in the fall.

They haven’t publicized the extension in their school, but they did expose it to many developers who can help them improve or spread their creation. They were asked if they had spoken to Zohar Dayan, the CEO and co-founder of Wibbitz, who made a similar app that takes written word and makes it into a video in order to summarize it. They were yet to speak with him.

The New York Tech Meetup allows people to network. Who knows whether TLDR will get tips from the CEO of Wibbitz? Who knows where it can take someone? Whether it be at a job in Google or IBM, the New York Tech Meetup has much to offer to those who attend. The meetings occur monthly, and regulars and newbies will meet once again next month on September 9th, 2015.

Brooklyn Bridge Park: The Place to be This Summer!

by

 

Brooklyn+Bridge+Park

 

Brooklyn Bridge Park opened in March of 2010, transforming piers for unloading cargo into a  family park. The park is broken into six long piers,and five years later the construction and add ons are still in process. Currently Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a community pool, hockey rink, soccer field, basketball court, movie showings, and smorgasburg on Sundays! Smorgasburg is a gathering of 100 vendors, with samples of their food  for all to enjoy (with a view!).

 

Kevin Sayer and his daughter were headed to the pool with two towels in hand on a sunny Saturday afternoon. “I love how they turned nothing into something. Instead of taking my family on vacation we can enjoy any activity here without the cost of an expensive vacation.” Kevin enjoyed kayaking and sailing with his family later that day and added, “I can’t believe I get to do this all in Brooklyn!”

 

Elizabeth Davis, a mother of two in the park with her son Elven and his friend Sebastian, enjoyed the Hockey rink as a play date activity. “I think this park has saved my son’s summer to be honest,” she said as she watched the boys play, Davis added “It’s fun for all ages, when I want I can even have date night here with my husband.”

 

Although the park  is a great summer hangout spot, it also has its critics. Many Brooklyn residents are complaining about the gentrification to the neighborhood. Bernie Griffith, a Brooklyn native, who has been living there for 33 years, says the neighborhood is almost unrecognizable and it feels like Brooklyn as he knows it is being taken away from him. “If I wanted a park, i’ll go to Central Park, I just want my neighborhood back. Trust me when I say i’m not the only one who feels like this!” Bernie asserted.

Overall, although some see brooklyn Bridge Park as a negative gentrification in the neighborhood they know and love, many see it as a fun new place to spend their summer without  going very far. See for yourself and make your way down to piers 1-6 for a day to see for yourself!

Chinatown Residents Angered by the Sale of Counterfeits

by

“Get off the damn sidewalk! Beep, Beep! Go somewhere else!”

This is one of the many angry comments made by people of Chinatown on a daily basis about the lack of sidewalk space. The presence of sellers who sell counterfeit bags to tourists overcrowds the sidewalk and residents are fed up.

The sellers are usually women who wear fanny packs and loiter in front of areas where tourists tend to frequent. With an earpiece in one ear, the seller’s eyes shift from potential customers to the end of the block, making sure the police is nowhere in sight. If one gets close enough, one could hear them mumble names of several brands such as Gucci and Prada.

They have potentials customers meet them in an area without many police officers and give the latter a piece of papers with pictures of products they offer. Once the customers make their choice, the vendors contact the supplier to deliver the goods.

However, many residents of Chinatown start to find it a burden on their daily lives especially as the number of vendors and tourists grows. Some sellers harass people who simply walked pass them.

Ying, a former Chinatown inhabitant, commented, “My cousin told me that one day he would just gather a bunch of them [the sellers] and claim he is going to buy a lot of stuff…then call the police on them cause they block…the sidewalk.”

It seems a little harsh but illustrates the frustration among Chinatown residents.

Amy, a teenager, commented “I don’t mind the sellers…it is actually fun to watch them try to argue with the tourists about prices….but it does make it hard to walk.” She later added that the situation is caused by increased tourism in Chinatown. Some vendors even made alliances with tourist companies so the latter would bring tourists into certain areas of Chinatown that are known for counterfeit sales.

According to the American Bar Association, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, who represents Manhattan District 1, is working to reduce the demand of counterfeit goods especially on Canal Street. The street is known internationally as the destination for purchasing counterfeit handbags and watches.

Chin introduced a bill that would provide stricter punishments for people involve in the the illegal sale of counterfeit goods. The bill, Title 18 United States Code Section 2320, punishes vendors with a fine up to $2,000,000 or 10 years of imprisonment.

Despite city crackdowns and City Councilwoman Margaret Chin’s effort to pass a bill, many people continue to break the law. In recent years, some residents notice that the initial business has moved away from Canal Street and has spread to other areas of Chinatown to avoid detection by the police. The new places include Elizabeth Street and Mulberry Street.

Police are even going undercover, using civilian vehicles to smoke out several operations in the aforementioned areas but this has only caused more disturbances.

On August 1st, police and vendors clashed on Mulberry Street. A street filled with both tourists and Chinatown residents as they watched an officer in a brown civilian car calling out to the group of vendors, causing the latter to drop their goods and break into a run. However, instead of chasing them, the officer stepped out of the car, picked up the goods and left.

These chaotic events are becoming more common in this area and civilians are tired of the continuous chaos.

“Sometimes, I just wish it was happening in some other place…you know?” said Henry, a teenager who lives in Chinatown.

 

The Baruch College Experience: Social and Satisfied?

by

Is Baruch College worth it? To many, what makes a college experience worthwhile are the friends one makes there.

As incoming freshmen this summer ready themselves to spend the next several years at their matriculated colleges, the fear of not being able to meet people remains. Baruch College, a well-known commuter school, has its own story.

According to U.S. News & World Report, 100% of Baruch students live off-campus, and only 2% of students live in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing. Those planning to apply to Baruch know very well the stereotype that commuter students who live far away don’t hang around after class.

That view is supported by Mohammad, a sophomore majoring in Finance, who claims that Baruch students are just there for the diploma, and see clubs as a way to stick fancy titles on a résumé rather than an opportunity to make friends. Instead, Mohammad had found his friends freshman year by hanging around the edges of the campus looking for a smoke. Today, Mohammad no longer smokes, but the common ground of a shared vice brought him and his companions together.

To Anushka, a senior who had transferred into Baruch, it’s all about networking. She held a full-time job until this spring, so it wasn’t the forty-minute commute from Upper Manhattan that obstructed her from making friends, but her financial responsibility. Instead, she builds friendships through shared classes and staying in touch. Anushka continued by saying that “It [took] me forever to realize that college’s not just about getting a good GPA or whatever…you have to get connected, you have to network.”

Anushka acknowledged it would be easier to connect to people if Baruch was a residential college. After all, dorms are well known for forcing roommates and suitemates to bond, perhaps even over the roaches and the lack of space.

Franklin, a junior who transferred from Hofstra University, lives in Queens, with a fifty-minute commute. On a bad day, it can take a hour. However, Franklin says “I feel [Baruch] is more social [than Hofstra]. I feel like there’s more things going on right here than there ever was back at the other university, [where] I used to commute as well.” Franklin also stated that “most” students at Hofstra live in a dorm (according to U.S. News & World Report, 47% of Hofstra students), so the university would cater to those who lived nearby. Those who lived off-site, then, had a significant disadvantage. At Baruch, everyone lives off-site.

For Joe, an incoming freshman who has to commute about an hour and a half from Staten Island, the commute does present a problem. However, he thinks that joining clubs would allow him to meet the people he wouldn’t otherwise. According to U.S. News & World Report, Baruch has 172 registered clubs and organizations, so it should not be too hard to find a niche.

“If you let it, it can provide a lot of opportunities, like if you go and set up schedules with your friends to leave at the same time every morning, and get to school around the same time, or take the same trains, then there’s a lot of opportunities,” said Joe.

The Food That Stands Out

by

Weather reporters say that it’s one of the hottest days of the year and people should avoid staying in the sun for too long. Dozens of people stormed the shady areas around the food stands with their famished stomachs shouting orders. It’s lunch time.

For Li and Hussain this isn’t the time to relax and eat like everyone else. The owners of two unique food stands, the Prince of Egypt and the K Food, they are hard at work during this rush hour. To them it’s just a normal day at work and, with the heat from the sun and the grill beating down on them, Li and Hussain are trying to deal out orders as fast as they can.

When asked how they deal with the stress, Li, the owner of K Food, a rare Korean cuisine food stand outside the Baruch College vertical building said, “It’s very hard trying to keep my cool in this sun. I’ve seen other cooks crack under this kind of pressure. For me, it’s different. I like trying to see how fast I can cook under pressure.”

Hussain, the owner of a popular halal food stand, The Prince of Egypt, has a different viewpoint on how he deals with the stress. “I don’t know how I do it, but I do know that rush hour is the time that I make the most money so I 4973474587_6270bc3c84_ocan’t let people leave because I am too slow,” he said.

This is what Li and Hussain have to deal with every day but there are other commitments they have to make. “The business is very hard and tiring,” Li said. “I wake up every day at 4:30 in the morning so I can get here and set up on time.”

They also must deal with the competition. Around Baruch there are about 16 different food stands but Li and Hussain are holding up very well at the fierce competition.

“Business is going great since I am one of the few halal food trucks in the area. People look forward to either trying something new or getting food they’re accustomed to,” Hassain said.

Li said “There aren’t a lot of Korean places to eat in the area so I am one of a kind. People love coming to me to try my different takes on food.

“I eat at K Foods mostly every day,” said one of Baruch’s rising juniors. “The food reminds me of something my parents would cook, especially that delicious chicken teriyaki.”

 

Ring! Ring! Bike Coming Through

by

It is no secret that the number of active bikers in Manhattan has increased since Mayor Bloo
mberg’s implementation of CitiBikes in 2013, but what is it really like to ride between the chaos of New York City traffic?

Shawn Jones, a 24 year old bike courier, can give one a good idea of what it’s like to travel on two wheels amid New York City’s yellow cabs and black ubers.

The merging of two popular food delivery companies- Seamless and GrubHub- in 2013 has given many individuals easy access to online and mobile ordering. While ordering food may feel as easy as the click of a button, delivering food is a much more complex process when bikes do the job faster than cars.

After almost two years of delivering food to various destinations in Manhattan, Jones has become used to the reckless drivers that he shares the road with. During this time, Jones has stayed out of accidents by riding between cars rather than in bike lanes, which drivers normally don’t pay attention to.

On average, Jones does 15 to 20 deliveries a day, each of which takes around 20 minutes. He finds himself biking around the city for both business and pleasure, because he thinks “it’s nice to stare at all the cars sitting in traffic and think, ‘haha.’” Like many other people who deliver food or parcels on bikes, Jones enjoys not being restricted by traffic while still being able to move through the streets efficiently.

Daryl Williams, a security guard for Credit Suisse Bank on 24th and Madison, says that there are constantly people passing by on bikes, whether they are biking to work, or biking for pleasure. In the years that he’s watched bikers ride through one New York City streets, he hasn’t seen any major accidents occur.

Nonetheless, many bike couriers have said that they’d like to improve the safety of bike-riding in a city as busy as Manhattan. “I think maybe drivers ed should include how to maintain the safety of not only pedestrians but also bikers,” says Jones.

Jones has noticed that with an increase in bikers in NYC, some drivers are being more attentive to bike lanes, while others less so. Citi Bike users have revealed that prior to the implementation of this new bike system, they were skeptical of biking in the big streets where cars are constantly moving around them, but felt safer after knowing that there would be more bike users joining them.

“I feel like Joseph Gordon Levitt in that movie Premium Rush– every moment I’m riding my bike I’m thinking of which way to turn and how to get to my destination in the shortest amount of time,” says Shawn Jones.

Financial Aid’s Benefits and Coverage Underlined for Students

by

Financial Aid-Financial Aid office at Cal Poly Pomona. Sept 20, 2009.
Financial Aid-Financial Aid office at Cal Poly Pomona. Sept 20, 2009.

 

Out-of-state college students are wholly paying for their tuition by themselves. CUNY students are overwhelmed with the pressure of maintaining satisfactory progress to ensure the help of financial aid and still having to pay a lot out of pocket.

Financial aid is based on giving students with unprivileged backgrounds an opportunity for an education , but this takes a turn when financial problems still exist with these students.

All students enrolling in college can fill out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), but most financial aid office assistants do not tell students about the complications and requirements to be accepted for either part time or full time financial help.

According to a financial aid office assistant at Baruch College, the selective process for aid is done by the Department of Education’s federal guidelines which are solely based on the student’s parent income and how they file their taxes. The office assistant states that full time financial aid is typically given to students with a low-income background and that any student can get partial aid  which usually range from a family  income of $1,000-5,198.

A Baruch student, Morgan, says she was not eligible for financial aid as her single parent has an income of $35,000 a year. A federal aid eligibility requirement says the cost of education must be greater than the estimated family contribution. However, the struggle financially for families still exists although by the Department of Education may consider them  “privileged.” “Textbooks are expensive and with all other supplies needed for my classes, my mom can barely keep up with bills at home,” Morgan says. The financial aid eligibility guidelines are not practical for all students as some still struggle with college expenses.

For out-of-state college students, financial aid is an issue. An out-of-state student, Sophia, says that only federal aid is available to her, but most students are not eligible based on their family incomes.

Eligibility for financial aid also requires the student to make satisfactory progress towards completing a degree. Two Baruch students state that this adds immense pressure on them when taking classes. They say that during finals they are filled with distress because their grades determine if financial aid will still be available to them.