Archives for August 2016

Kids Take Over The New Era of Wonderama!

August 8, 2016 by Brandy Sarabia Leave a Comment

Parents say good luck as kids prepare for the taping of Wonderama (Photo by Brandy Sarabia) — Parents say good luck and the stage director explains what is going to happen for the live taping of Wonderama (Photo by Brandy Sarabia)

An upcoming hit sensation that is bound to sweep the nation. Chuck Armstrong and his studio crew are in New York City bringing back an old sensation, Wonderama.

What is Wonderama?

“A TV show made for kids, by kids,” says Chuck Armstrong, the executive chief producer for Wonderama. First introduced to American families in 1955, this show brings joy to kids and adults. “We’re trying to show things that everyday kids can do to really attain their goals in life,” says Armstrong. Not only is this show encouraging kids to reach their goals, but it also teaches kids how to overcome challenges. Everyone who collaborated on Wonderama has a story about overcoming challenges. Coco and Breezy are 27-year-old twins who were bullied during their childhood. They overcame their bullying by designing glasses to help avoid making eye contact with people. After high school, they moved to New York City. They now own a well-known eyewear company and are DJ’s for Wonderama.

David Osmond, is a 36 year old singer who is also fighting multiple sclerosis. Although he is overcoming MS, Osmond is funny and outgoing. It’s no wonder he is the host of the show why kids love him!

“I’ve hosted a lot of shows, but nothing like this. I’m having the time of my life” chuckles David. He isn’t the only one who is having the time of his life. The look on the kids faces as they watch live animals and people dancing makes it almost seem like a miniature Disney World.

What makes Wonderama even more special?

Wonderama gives kids the opportunity to feel special. Take for example, Nate, the eight year old kid who raised money for charity. Or the seven-year-old girl who was a boxer. To make it even better, the kids in the audience demonstrate their talents. Wonderama gives kids an opportunity to become a something more than just an average kid.

While Wonderama is a children’s tv show, people of all ages can enjoy watching David Osmond, Mr. Blue, and a special guest appear when the show airs on tv, October 2016. They are still filming the first season at Baruch Performing Arts Center.

“Gotta Catch Them All” -NYC

August 8, 2016 by LAYSHA CASTILLO Leave a Comment

The newest trend and addicting game (replacing candy crush) is here. It is called Pokèmon GO.

People all over the world have been playing this new game which has excited all the 90s babies who have watched and played Pokèmon most of their childhood. This game was released on July 6, 2016, and it was extremely anticipated. According to USAToday, “-the insanely popular mobile game downloaded 7.5 million times”. These stats were all since the game was dropped and they are only increasing.

A lot of kids nowadays, 90s and 2000 babies, seem to play it because it reminds them of their childhood. “The Pokèmons. I feel like a little kid finding them. The battles too, oh those give me adrenaline”, Brandy Sarabia said, a teen who has played the game several times (also a 90s baby).

Another teen, Kristy Delacruz, said, “I have always liked Pokemon ever since I was little”. She also just liked catching all the Pokèmon characters. (Which is the main point for the game).

People also believe the game is a positive outlook to make people want to go outside and walk around. It helps the people who are always on their phones but never outside to go out and it actually provides a bit of exercise with the benefit of meeting new people. “You can go outside and find new things in your neighborhood”, Gian Ortiz said, another teen gamer.

Some may counter that this game distracts people and has lead to actual injuries. One person actually ended up falling off their skateboard while playing the game and as Nypost states, “He cut his hand on the sidewalk after hitting a big crack, and blames himself for going too slowly”.

Gian, 16-year-old gamer, who goes to Landmark high school says “I would say it’s mesmerizing and does sometimes lead to injuries to people who are so fixed on the game that they aren’t aware of their surroundings”.

But if you want to avoid getting hurt you should just pay attention to your surroundings. Be aware if you are crossing the street or going places with a lot of holes or ditches. As shown on Snapchat, a Reddit user was reporting an accident they got stating , “Not even 30 minutes after the release last night, I slipped and fell down a ditch. Fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in my foot, 6-8 weeks for recovery”.

Snapchat encourages,“Just watch where you are going!”, on the application today.

Even though there are glitches and sometimes crashes with Pokèmon Go, it is still a game worth playing. “It’s rewarding because the more you walk, the more Pokemon’s you receive and it’s entertaining to advance within the game”.

Can Phil Answer Our Question?

August 8, 2016 by Ali Ayoub Leave a Comment

Phil raising his Coach of the Year award.

Knicks fans have been desperate for change in the Knicks organization because it has had no NBA titles since ‘73 and questionable signings and moves over the years. Phil Jackson, aka The Zen Master, won 13 NBA championships which makes him on top as a player and coach of all time. In 2014, the Knicks announced that Phil Jackson would return to the Garden as president. This move gave Phil Jackson have full control of the coaching staff, player contracts and exploring trade options to make the Knicks as good as possible. Phil Jackson won 2 of his championships as a defensive minded player on the New York Knicks back in 1970 and 1973 and played alongside Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Willis Reed.

He was then hired as head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 1989. It took Phil, Michael Jordan,Scottie and their supporting cast 2 short seasons to win their first championship in franchise history. The Chicago Bulls went for a 3 peat from 1991-1993 and 1996-1998 which solidified Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time and Phil Jackson as a basketball genius. Phil retired as a coach in 1998 but signed with the Lakers in 1999 and won the 5 championships in the span of 11 NBA seasons as coach which also solidified Kobe Bryant as one of the greatest of all time. Phil retired in 2011.

The New York Knicks had been in a terrible slump for almost 16 seasons after losing the NBA finals against the Spurs in the 1998-1999 season and only making the playoffs in only 11 of the last 16 seasons. In his first move as president he fired the entire coaching staff and hired someone who he’d coached for 10 plus years Derek Fisher. After this huge signing, Phil Jackson and the Knicks organization brought a lot of hope to their fans because a lot was expected from Phil.

Heading into the 2014-15 season, the Knicks were projected to be a playoff team but things didn’t go as planned. Phil’s first major move was trading a fan favorite, Tyson Chandler, and Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks. Some Knicks fans thought it was a great move but the majority thought it was pointless.

The Knicks ended up 15th in the east and 29th (out of 30) in the standings, with a record of 17-65. The Knicks later got a lottery pick in the NBA (4th overall) and Phil Jackson put all his trust on a 19 year old Latvian named Kristaps Porzingis. Many people automatically lost hope on the Knicks after this random pick by Phil.

Kristaps’ first season (2015-16) recently ended and he ended 2nd in votes rookie of the year and averaging 14 points, 7 rebounds, and roughly 2 blocks per game. A lot of people doubted the overseas star but they also saw him evolve under Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony who guided him on the floor.

The NBA started the offseason in July 1 but the Knicks started to make power moves with a blockbuster trade acquiring Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose while sending Jose Calderon, Jerian Grant and Robin Lopez to the Bulls. As free agency began, the Knicks made another huge signing by acquiring free agent big man Joakim Noah who was Derrick Rose’s teammate in Chicago since 2008 that could bring in good team chemistry.

I’ve asked 10 basketball fans who live in New York if the Knicks can be contenders for the championship and three people thought they could and 7 they couldn’t. My personal opinion is that the Knicks could become a playoff team next season but it might take some time to be contenders for the championship.

Knicks fans are starting to have hope and starting to believe in the Zen Master aka Phil Jackson to make the Knicks a championship team once again.

Is Union Square’s “Beautification” a Facade?

August 8, 2016 by Troy Smith Leave a Comment

An ambulance siren blinked and blared as paramedics closely followed a tall man. They held a bright orange stretcher shadowing him as he led the way.

A woman sat with her body folded forward and eyes closed. She appeared to be unconscious just before she was swiftly pulled up straight by the tall man. Her eyes opened up wide, mostly revealing white. A hollow expression formed on her face.

The paramedics stood still for a moment looking at the woman’s eyes. She may have overdosed.

Children danced, jumped, and ran in a small field of grass just footsteps away from the helpless woman. It was Thursday in Union Square Park.

Thursdays, Union Square hosts a daylong event called Summer in the Square. The non-profit Union Square partnership offers a range of free community activities to children and adults. The events have been held since June 16 and end August 11.

Summer in the Square has been hosted by the park for 14 years, said staff. They said the event has gotten bigger and bigger each year. The program has a large range of sponsors.

According to Summer in the Square’s website, the park hosts the event “to ensure… Union Square district’s continued growth and success by providing… sanitation, public safety, economic development, marketing and events like Summer in the Square.” The site claims it is focused on “investing in the beautification of Union Square Park.”

Union Square hasn’t exactly provided the “sanitation, public safety and economic development” it insists it offers.

In a short walk around the square, you can smell the stench of rancid trash. On the east side of the park piles of garbage bags sit, left to be picked through by homeless looking for recyclables and food.

Drug addicts, who are often also homeless, populate the entirety of the park. Some are spaced out or incapable of motion.

Cop cars are usually parked along the east side of the park, yet these occurrences persist.

The growth and success Union Square claims to ensure has not been felt by all its community. While many enjoy the services the park provides, those who generally need it most don’t take advantage of those opportunities. Because they aren’t offered significant attention, they’re bound to decline.

The tents with big names plastered across them, and the big stage that holds up performers can’t hide the reality of the deterioration of Union Square’s smaller community.

Iconic Frida Kahlo

August 8, 2016 by Huiqi Pan Leave a Comment

Her iconic brows and portraits are on items such as shirts, magnets, mugs, and tote bags. Frida Kahlo knocked down all societal norms placed upon females, even today, and will go down as one of the most influential surrealistic artist in history. She inspires the current feminist movements birth and teaches us that “taboo subjects” such as miscarriages, abortions, sexuality and divorces should not be hidden.

Mexican artist Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón, known as Frida Kahlo, was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyocán, Mexico City, Mexico. When Kahlo was six years old, she contracted poliomyelitis disease which meant that her body would become very fragile. She even enrolled in premedical studies to understand the human body better.

In 1925, at the age of eighteen, Kahlo was robbed of her health and dream of entering medical school when an electric train crashed into the brightly drawn bus which was suppose to take her home to Coyoacán. The accident killed many people instantly and in her case, an iron rod protruded from one side of her pelvis to the other side.

On her road to recovery, many doctors predicted that she would not make it. As she was confined in bed, she began to paint many self portraits and it was during this long recovery that she improved her art. Since she was always with herself, she delved deeper into her own looks and even hung a mirror overhead in the canopy of her bed.

Also, she had to endure more than 30 surgeries to help regain her movement and spent her life after that in pain. One of her most famous paintings about her struggles is Broken Column (1940) which consist of her bare body with a cut-out where we are able to see her steel corset that helps support her spine. Nails pierce all throughout her body while streams of tears run down her face. These surgeries led to several miscarriages and abortions since her pelvis was unable to carry a child.

Abortion and miscarriages were very taboo subjects at the time but society never stopped Kahlo from painting her pain. She continued to express herself, taboo or not, and engaged in sexual relations with both men and women. She also once dressed in men’s clothing and even cut her hair “like a man” and painted her experience. She loved to drink, smoke and speak countless profanities. Ideas of what a female was suppose to look like did not faze her.

Another reason she is iconic even today is her fight for all past, present and future feminine beauty ideals. In all of her self-portraits, many can recognize her as the women with the unibrow and faint mustache. Her response to others telling her to shave them off would be to darken those hairs to prove them wrong.

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940) portrays her beauty and pain. As Kahlo stares directly at you in the painting, the artist wears Christ’s unraveled crown of thorns that cuts into the flesh of her neck. This can show her enduring the pain from her failed marriage to Diego Rivera whom she divorced but remarried a year later.

The dead hummingbird is symbolic for falling in love in Mexican folkloric tradition which is a lucky charm, a black cat, symbolic for bad luck, and her spider monkey Fulang Chang gifted from Rivera, symbolic for evil.

Blogger of Solidarity US, Meadows writes, “Her art deals with conception, pregnancy, abortion and gender roles in an unusually frank and open manner, thus making them political statements because women have not generally felt free to address such personal subjects so publicly.” Frida Kahlo went on to become an icon and influence for the feminist movement. Frida Kahlo shows us that taboo subjects from women’s periods to abortion rights should not be embarrassing topics but to be discussed loud and clear today and to be taken on head on. She knew who she was and what she wanted. She was unafraid to embrace herself and everything about the female body.

Gun Control Laws: Necessary or Unjust?

August 8, 2016 by Jailene Rodriguez Leave a Comment

According to the second amendment of the United States Constitution, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” To most people in the United States, the right to bear arms is one of the most important civil rights. However, with the recent national crisis with guns and other arms, many people have considered the idea of “infringing” on the right in order to protect lives.

In recent news, in Orlando, Florida’s nightclub Pulse, a gunman named Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured 53 people on the night of June 12, 2016. The shooter who was said to be connected to al-Qaeda was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Miami field office for over 10 months. Omar Mateen was under surveillance due to said ties to terrorism, but later Mateen, “told investigators he made the statements out of anger, and the FBI closed the inquiry,” The Atlantic reported.

As Hillary Clinton argued during a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, “If the FBI is watching you for suspected terrorist links, you shouldn’t be able to just go buy a gun with no questions asked.” For people like Omar Mateen who have been investigated by the FBI multiple times, it should not, and I reiterate, should not be easy to purchase or own a gun. Some measures of investigation should be taken in order to prevent certain people from obtaining arms in such simple steps.

Omar Mateen was required to pass a criminal background check and to be of good moral character. I must ask, as a citizen of the United States, what exactly does it mean to be of good moral character? Well of course, to everyone that means something different, but the frustrating part is that the government is using the term “to be of good moral character” in order to categorize what type of people are allowed to own guns.

Having access to guns gives people a spur of power, because with one pull of the trigger they can take away the life of another. One of the most horrifying facts is “At least 11 states now allow for automatic reversal of felons’ gun prohibitions after a certain period of time, either for all felons or those convicted of certain crimes,” according to Everytown for Gun Safety. This means that former criminals can easily obtain guns and possibly strike again using the weaponry they are able to get.

The government should not allow such actions to occur, because according to Everytown for Gun Safety, “On an average day, 91 Americans are killed with guns… America’s gun murder rate is more than 25 times the average of other developed countries.” Such high numbers show America gives its citizens too much power and right to own a gun, because simply these guns that the people own is what has caused unfortunate situations.

Indeed, infringing on the right to bear arms would be against the second amendment of the Constitution, a right that our founding fathers lawfully gave us. However, what I find more important than the right to bear arms is the protection of American lives. With the easy accessibility of guns, it is more probable for lives to be taken simply because one man argued that it was his right to own a gun.

As citizens of the United States of America, we must focus on protecting each other and assisting each other in times of crisis. We should not attack Congress as they try to fix a problem that affects our nation. We should consider how they would in fact be saving some lives.

How Public is Public Space?

August 8, 2016 by LISANDRA Leave a Comment

Most parks, beaches, roads and stores are considered public spaces because they are open and accessible to everyone. But private places have rules that owners have set the public’s access.

Lately many restrictions have been set on public places that limit people’s freedom. This is seen many stores and even streets especially in New York City.

In 2002 smoking was prohibited in restaurants and bars. This went even further in 2011 when a law prohibited smoking in municipal parks and public areas in New York City.Now whether public space is really public is questioned again because of an incident in the Apple Store on 14st.

On July 27 I went to interview a customers at the Apple Store to learn more about Apple’s customer service. I interviewed two women waiting to get their phones fixed and, like great journalists do, I interviewed the employees to get different points of view and a fair story.

Two employees gladly answered my questions but a third employee on the second floor told me that I was not allowed to do that and approached his co-worker and whispered something in his ear. My friend, who joined me suggested we see what the man was saying. When we reached him the man’s co-worker told us that to ask questions we “need to make an appointment and have permission.”

My friend and I approached another employee on the first floor who offered to help us and during the interview I noticed that the man who did not permit us to interview his co-workers or employees was staring us down.

Now you may ask what does that have to do with the new laws against smoking?

In all three cases public spaces that are supposed to be open and accessible now limit people’s rights, whether it is freedom of speech or smoking. Owners of these public places restrict activity they think is wrong and set rules similar to what private places do.

With so many restrictions and rules common public places are slowly becoming private.

Boy Meets World vs. Girl Meets World

August 8, 2016 by JENNIFER Leave a Comment

September 24, 1993 — The original release date of Boy Meets World. Boy Meets World is a show about Cornelius “Cory” Matthews that follows him throughout his coming of age, from middle school to college life. Like any child, Cory faced obstacles on a daily with coming of age.

Boy Meets World gained much attention from kids, who understood the challenges of growing up. Although Boy Meets World was aired 6 years before I was born, I can relate to what Cory had gone through. Ben Savage who played Cory was able to bring the personality of Cory to life. Ben fully expressed his feelings through Cory. With the help of his companions Ben created an atmosphere where they are able to laugh together but also stick together through tough situations. As I watched Boy Meets World, I developed a connection with all the characters and fell in love. I adored Cory and Topanga’s relationship, I’ve always supported them. I was heartbroken in one episode where Cory kisses someone else and Topanga finds out. It was a nervewreck for me and probably others as well. Thankfully Cory and Topanga end up together and have a family.

June 27, 2014 — Disney launches Girl Meets World. For those who don’t know Girl Meets World is a follow up of Boys Meets World. Cory has grown up and is raising his daughter, Riley. She is now facing her coming of age. I, however, can’t say I like the idea of the show, because Boy Meets World is a classic and it can’t be beat.

Due to it being launched on Disney Channel Girl Meets World are younger than those who have seen Boy Meets World. Times have changed so those who have viewed Boy Meets World aren’t fully able to connect with the situations in Girl Meets World. Also, the main character is now a female. Having Riley face these situations presents to viewers with a different point of view than in Boy Meets World. For example we see these recents episodes where Riley and her best friend like the same guy- Lucas. This love triangle mess got confusing. Most younger viewers who have kept up would understand it better than I do.

Overall, Boy Meets World beats Girl Meets World. Boy Meets World is able to create a connection to its viewers unlike Girl Meets World, where majority of their viewers are younger and might not face challenges that older viewers had to face. Boy Meets World is an original and frankly its follow up won’t be as great.

How do Security Guards Keep Schools Safe?

August 8, 2016 by a.diaz4 Leave a Comment

Security guards keep schools safe in many different ways. For example, the security guards do not let students into schools without an ID card. The Baruch College 2012 Book states,“Security guards know that you’re a student, but they make sure you swipe your ID card at the turnstiles, or else they do not let you into the school” Security guards will not let you into the building without proper identification because they want to make sure and that you are actually a student who attends that school. They want you to prove you are a valid student even if you forget your ID card you have to have something with your name on it or your student ID number. This allows them to look into the computer and confirm that you’re a student of that school.

In addition, security guards walk around the building and make sure that everything is in order and that nobody is disturbing classes or misbehaving. The Baruch College 2012 Book states “The security guards make their rounds during the course of the day to make sure that all is well”. When the security guards walk around the school building they ask the teachers and students walking around if they’re okay and if they see or have any problems.

Security guards keep schools safe by watching the security cameras that are installed inside and outside of the building, When the security guards watch the surveillance cameras from different angles, they can see what happens in different parts of the school to make sure that nothing happens. The surveillance cameras help identify intruders and trespassers. Security cameras also can tell the date and time in which the event occurred. On the website, Ehow, a story written by Ronnie Dee states “In the event of a security situation, cameras placed in the building can help officials find where the situation is”.

In conclusion security guards help out the school in many different ways. The security guards do a lot to help out the school, faculty and students. Security guards help the school by checking for proper identification, looking around the building to check if everything is in order and they do check surveillance to see if everything is okay in every corner of the school inside and out.

Baruch College Students Voice Their Complaints

August 8, 2016 by Jenny Liu Leave a Comment

Newman_Library_2 — Baruch College Library

Up the marbled steps, and through the dark, narrow security turnstiles, lead to the bright, open-spaced library at Baruch College. Near the Reference Center are laptop machines allowing students to checkout computers. Directly in front of the entrance is a white, curved staircase leading to the floors above. In each corner of the room, there are setups for computers, books, and check-out stations.

However, Baruch College students are still unsatisfied with the library.

Angelica, a senior at Baruch College, said, “I want the fourth and fifth floor to have better air because it feels really stuffy up there.”

Unlike the third floor, the fourth and fifth floors have windows to keep out noise for those who studying. The third floor is often identified as a “social floor” or “playground.” It is difficult for students to have both quiet and fresh air.

Another student giving his last name Turan, wants more tables and chairs, especially during the Spring semesters because there are “no spots free at all.” He also mentions that the great number of books appears overwhelming, hinting that the bookshelves occupy a lot of space.

Another student, Shemontee Chowdhury, said the library “feels dead” because the interior is “simple but unattractive.” She commented on the dullness of the library and suggests that the library should have brighter colors to make studying more enjoyable.

In response to these students’ complaints, Librarian-Professor of Library Science Stephen Francoeur, said that the library is planning to use “compact shelving,” which allows bookshelves to be compressed to fit more desks and tables.

Francoeur further mentioned that the library received recommendations from architectural firms that looked at the library’s interior structure and had set cameras to observe what resources students use. Therefore, the library will be remodeling for the first time since 1994. The furniture will be “updated” to more group “friendly” tables and space.

Also, the library is “redoing the heating and air conditioning on the fourth and fifth floor,” according to Francoeur. The fourth floor just finished and the technicians are currently attending to the fifth floor.

Sure enough, the Baruch College library is not only visually pleasing, but also working to create a setting that is comfortable and suitable for the students.