The Paw Print

It was a rainy day and I was barely four. I had only known so little of the world and myself. Yet, my dad was the last to give up on me…

It was a regular Saturday afternoon and my dad and I were heading out to our usual routine of bike riding to the piano school for my weekly lessons. My dad, a poor tenant living in the tightly packed rusty apartments in Chinatown hastily removed his bike from the chains of the wall and rolls it across our miniscule living room to the door as the bike bangs against everything it passed. I followed him, oblivious to all the troubles he went through just to get his bike out.

Because elevators were unsuitable for such low working class apartments, the stairs were our only choice. Dressed in a scrawny T-shirt along with ragged jeans, my dad lifted his bike slightly with his two bare arms and rolled it down the uneven rocky steps. Upon the last step, he released his bike and breathed a huge sigh as if he had been carrying a huge burden. With one hand holding onto the handle of the bike, he used his other hand to wipe off the sweat around his face and neck. He glanced at his watch and realized we were almost late despite the extra minutes he prepared for us to get ready.

Next, he seated me on the front seat of the bike. But before doing so, he checked to see that I was fully covered from head to toe in warmth and comfort, especially since it was raining. He did not look once at himself. When we were outside, my dad saw that the rain was harder that it seemed. Yet, that did not stop him. He pedaled harder and harder, with each pedal bursting with persistence, hope and love. His scrunched up eyebrows, tightened lips and determined look meant everything to me.

Although I may just be a puny, obnoxious, stubborn being watching my dad bike, I knew from that moment on my dad was my hero. He was giving up his time, money and efforts for me to learn and grow into a someone. He made sacrifices for me to know the world and to expand my door of possibilities. Till this day, there is no greater gift than the unconditional love from my dad.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

Oh, Dr. Seuss, how I love you so. You speak the truth and nothing less. You say it in such a way that is gentle enough for children yet wise enough for adults. You tell it like it is and not how it should be. You are officially my idol.

People would constantly ask me throughout my childhood, “who’s your idol?” “Who do you look up to?” My immediate answer would be, “my parents.” Or some celebrity I thought was pretty at that moment. It wasn’t until now that I realized who my idol has been all along: Dr. Seuss.

I mean, isn’t he great? Who else can bust a rhyme when telling you they don’t like green eggs and ham? Dr. Seuss got game! If he wanted to, he could walk up to a honey and bag.

Okay, I’m exaggerating. But I can’t lie, he’s pretty dope! He’s a good writer with great content. Not only can he write, but he’s hella good at drawing. Does that sound familiar? I like to write and draw… just not as well as Dr. Seuss.

But, trust: Dr. Seuss ain’t playin’ when he tells you to be yourself. Think about it, it’s the truth: the people who actually give a damn about what you say or do are the ones who are the most insignificant in your life. And the ones who see you no different today than they saw you yesterday are the ones you care for. Am I right? Or am I right? Well, technically, Dr.Seuss is right.

I don’t care how hard you are, how big your ego is or how you trippin’ thinking no other is better. You are and will always be thinking about what someone thinks of you. It may not be everyone, but someone. If you see a rather attractive male across the room, don’t go out of your way to attempt to look hot. If he like what he sees, he’ll approach, if not, then he won’t. No man is worth impressing. Best believe that.

I’m not talking about only the men. I’m talking ladies too. I know you probably walk into a party with the flyest outfit that took hours toprepare. Then you find some sleaze with the same top. Don’t get frustrated, just know you rockin’ it better than her. Because your Gladiator T-strap heels definitely look better than her clear-heeled hooker shoes. Because your perfect amount of gold accessories look hell ova lot better than her tacky plastic ornaments. Because your well-curled hair looks damn good compared to her failed attempt a tan edgy hair cut. Sure she may be grillin’ you, but who cares. She’s not worth your time. Let them do them, and you do you.

“Expect the best, be prepared for the worst, forget what others think & do your own thing.”

He’s always on the go and he’s never got the time to sit and enjoy the fresh air. He’s never got the time to use the manners that he’d learned from his parents during his childhood. He’s always got somewhere to be.

He is the average New Yorker. Walking fast for no reason as well as talking on the phone every five minutes of the day.

I am the average New Yorker; creeped out by non-New Yorkers. People that trudge down the block as if they have time, people that smile at me… especially the ones that smile at me and say “hello.”

In any other state, a smile and an acknowledgement is considered polite while here a woman will think you’re either a creeper or trying to hit on her and a guy will think you’re interested in him if you do anything as miniscule as smirk at him.

Whenever I return to New York from vacation, I automatically put on a new facade once I get on the train. There’s no smiling or waving at strangers on the train, I just glance with a straight face or keep my eyes on the advertisements posted up.

Although it may sound horrible to anyone who isn’t from New York, it’s not bad to be a New Yorker. Being a New Yorker makes one independent and it definitely opens the mind. I was traveling on public transportation alone at least by age 14, when I enrolled in high school.

I’ve also been exposed to so many different types of people in this big city that never sleeps. I’ve run into people I would have never even imagined.

This is why I’m proud to be an average New Yorker.

    Who was General Tso of General Tso’sChicken?  His name appears on every Chinese restaurant menu across America.Yet no one has ever been able to explain who General Tso was.  When I asked the waitress at Szechuan Delight, a Chinese restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, who General Tso was, she looked at me like I had two heads. My Aunt, a medieval historian, speculated that he did not exist.  Using my Chinese food detective skills, I headed out on the trail of the elusive General Tso. 

    General TsoTsung-t’ang (often translated as Zuo Zongtang) was a celebrated Chinese military leader of the nineteenth century, according to “Compton’s Encyclopedia Online.”  After a series of attempted revolutions, the Qing Chinese government created new regional armies to squash potential rebellions. If various rebel factions, including theTaiping, the Nien, and the Muslim rebels had unified, they might have successfully overthrown the Chinese imperial government.  

    The forces were made up of only Chinese soldiers and were led by members of the Chinese Gentry Class.  Generals Tso Tsung-t’ang, Li Hongzhang, and Zeng Guofan successfully led the army to victory against the rebellions.  Tso became Governor of the Hunan province and Governor General of Fujian (Fukien) and Zhejiang (Chekiang) provinces, according to “Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia.”  

    A leader of the self-strengthening movement, Tso believed that the Chinese army needed to modernize.  He influenced the Chinese government to purchase and manufacture modern weapons.  One of his greatest achievements was founding a navy yard, arsenal, and technical school in Fuxhou.

    General Tso’s Chicken was created by Peng Chang-kuei in Taiwan, according to the “Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook” by Fuchsia Dunlop. When the Nationalist government fled to Taiwan after the Revolution of 1949, they brought some of China’s best chiefs with them.  Peng Chang-kuei, the caterer of the Chinese Nationalist government’s banquets, created the dish in the early 1950s.  

    General Tso’s Chicken is not a traditional dish. Yet its sour taste is distinctly Hunanese, reflecting General Tso’s birthplace.  In 1973, Peng brought the dish with him to New York City, where he started a restaurant near the United Nations Headquarters.  U.N officials and the U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger frequented his restaurant. When Peng returned to Taiping, the dish remained in the United States.  

    General Tso’s Chicken is unpopular in China and can not be called a traditional Chinese dish.  Yet its fascinating name and history remind us of the Age of Imperialism and the 1949 Communist Revolution, recalling some of China’s most troubled and transformative times.

    Rival networks Nickelodeon and Disney both offer programming for young viewers. But which one does a better job of attracting that much sought after teen audience? 

    

    Disney Channel

has a lot of different programs but their biggest money makers are “Hannah Montana,” “Jonas,” “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “High School Musical.” These shows bring in money both on and off the screen. They’ve made lunch boxes, book bags, video games, clothing and accessories, and school supplies featuring the shows.

 

    It’s obvious Disney’s got the attention of all the pre-teens who love the Jonas brothers and already call themselves Mrs. Zac Efron as they sing along to Hannah Montana songs. But when it comes to teens, not all are singing along.

    “Disney is for those little kids who have yet been hit with reality and teens who still believe in make believe,” said Charlie Watson, 17.

    Nickelodeon is also famous for catering to young audiences with shows like “Sponge Bob,” “iCarly” and “Avatar.” Like Disney, Nickelodeon capitalizes on selling show-related products. But one thing Nick has that Disney doesn’t is a real-to-life program just for their teen viewers. “Degrassi,” which airs on Nickelodeon’s network “The N,” follows teens as they face issues like homosexuality, body image and school violence.

    While teens may occasionally bop their heads to a Hannah Montana song every now and then, many would rather watch the real life drama that goes on in “Degrassi.”

    “Everyone who is a teen now-a-days has had at least three Degrassi moments–especially if you live in the City,” said Watson.

    Stephanie Negron, 17, agreed. “I love [“Degrassi”], it’s so easy to relate to and there is no topic that is left untouched. They cover it all. Besides, unlike Disney it doesn’t always work out for the good guy in the end.”

    Whatever the demographics, both networks have a successful following. According to Zap2it.com, a Web site that posts television ratings, out of 5 stars “Jonas” and “Degrassi” both average 4.6 stars,”Hannah Montana” has a 4.3 star average and “iCarly” received 4.5 stars.

    While the rivalry is sure to continue, teens will flock to these networks for their preferred programming. “Disney is great for when you want to go back to the golden days [and] so is Nickelodeon,” said Rashon Melendez, 17. “But if you want to attract teens Nick’s the way to go.”

 

Like a game of Chutes and Ladders, same-sex marriage has been close to becoming reality several times before skidding all the way back. Now organizations on both sides of the issue are trying to decide what their next step will be.

Advocates of gay marriage face serious opposition, including the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a bond between one man and one woman. Thirty-seven states have passed their own Defense of Marriage Acts; however, it has not passed at the federal level.

Gay marriage has been approved in Massachusetts, Connecticut and several other states. It was legal for a short time in California. But last November, voters there voted to make it illegal once again with a bill known as Proposition 8.

Gay, Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), a New England group that supports gay marriage, has already made some progress, according to Executive Director Lee Swislow. He mentioned the success of one of GLAD’s cases involving Keith and Al Toney. Keith was able to get a passport using his correct married name.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) opposes gay marriage but supports same-sex unions. Brian Brown, Executive Director of NOM, believes that the issue will be simpler if same-sex unions can be recognized. “If the government just acknowledges same-sex unions, then this issue wouldn’t be as big as it is now,” he said.

For these organizations, gay marriage is not dead as an issue. And one day, one side just might finish the game.

“Well-behaved bitches seldom make history.”

– Married to the MOB (Leah)

A woman’s fight in a male-dominatedsociety is nothing less than a war.

We are constantly coming across obstacles that cannot be solved, like the times where our very own womanhood is underestimated, or the times where we females are discriminated due to our gender. This gives us a smaller chance at success. What happened to men and women having equal rights?

 

Say we follow the rules; we play the role of what is expected from us as women. What happens then? We are then unacknowledged and unappreciated.

 

We must study the game, watch the game, play the game, and play it well. If your cocky, self-centered bastard of a co-worker receives the position you’ve been working so hard for, and he’s done nothing but kiss-up and goof off. What do you do? Do you sit there and accept it?

Sure you can: write an e-mail to your boss or talk to him afterwork. Do as you please. But will that get you anywhere? More than likely, your voice will be left un-heard and your e-mail will be sent to the trash folder in a heart-beat.

 

How did that happen? You did the professional thing, didn’t make a scene or put up a fight. You acted like the lady you were supposed to. But your boss doesn’t acknowledge your existence.His lam
e reason of not promoting you is, “you can’t handle it, it takes a real man to do the job right.” What kind of GARBAGE is that?! Is he insinuating that a female figure is “too emotional?”

This dude must be going NUTZO, because last I checked, it was illegal to unreasonably discriminate. I understand if you don’t allow a woman to lift heavy weight, that’s only a gentleman’s duty. But to question her authority? Honey, you just crossed the line.

Don’t get me wrong, acting like a lady is more than fine. But there’s a difference between taking a stand, with class, and blowing up with all that ghetto talk.  Sometimes, and only sometimes, the only way to redeem respect and success is to break the rules…just a little.     

    An act of rebellion will get you far— to acertain extent. Don’t play, and act like you didn’t know Rosa Park‘s name wasn’t going pop up in this post! She is one of the most respected rebels in history. You heard that? HISTORY. We hear about her from our teachers, our parents, our grandparents, and… you get the point.

What we gotta do, is discipline ourselves. Teach ourselves to not be vulnerable, to acknowledge the thrill of a chase. It’s a Bonnie & Clyde adventure, but its just Bonnie this time because Clyde’s retrospective on a woman’s ability was beyond degrading. Fight the war. It’s not a matter of whether you win, or lose; it’s a matter of how you fight it and what you’re fighting for. Just remember one thing: 

It’sa man’s world, but women make it go ’round.

            The end of anything often brings about nostalgia. The end of College Now brings about the same reflection although we have only been at Baruch for six weeks.

            I’ve learned many things about myself that I will appreciate going into the college admissions process. I’ve learned that I do want to study journalism in college. Even though I decided I wanted to be a journalist at the age of ten, I sometimes questioned my long-time dream. 

    Before I decided I wanted to be a journalist I wanted to be an actress, a model, a dancer, a QVC anchor and probably something else I would positively hate doing now. Sometimes I wondered if what I’m planning to do for the rest of my life is just a quixotic dream. It’s possible to worry that in ten years you’ll dread waking up in the morning instead of jumping out of your cramped walk up in the West Village.

            After this class I’m sure that if I follow this career, unhappiness won’t paralyze me every morning.

            I’ve learned over the last six weeks that I love reporting. The anxiety of asking an over-worked and under-paid store employee is worth it when they say an amazing quote. Walking around for days, occasionally in the pouring rain with a friend and a small umbrella, is valuable when I feel accomplished because I interviewed every thrift store in a ten block radius. I love talking to people and hearing their stories and opinions.

            I’ve also learned that I am a better “journalism” writer than op-ed writer. News features are amazingly fun to write and much easier, in my opinion, than organizing my thoughts into an editorial. I enjoy writing, but at least I know I can’t be a columnist in the near future.

            I’m sad to see a class I enjoyed going to, and was willing to wake up at 6:15 to get to, end. What I do have to look forward to is that this time next year, and three after that, my schedule will be filled with journalism and writing classes like this one.  

 

    The musical revival “Hair” is a psychedelic trip back to the 1960s with each scene depicting the typical life of a hippie and their beliefs. 

     The opening scene is of a group of hippies singing and walking towards the stage. Their costumes were very unique. Berger, one of the main characters, wore a ripped pair of jeans and a suede vest (which he later removed to bare his naked body).     

    Along with their long, beautiful hair, many of the girls wore flower dresses and head bands that wrapped around their foreheads. 

    The characters show their love for each other and try to get the audience to understand that there is enough love around for everyone. 

    â€œHair,”created by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, based the show on a group of kids that Rado met in the East Village. The kids were being kicked out of school for having long hair. Rado was inspired by the excitement of these hippies he saw in the streets of New York City. He thought that if he could incorporate this feeling into a show it would be a great performance. 

    

    The show, which follows a group of hippies living in Central Park, was made for Broadway, and the writers certainly thought it belonged there. They presented their idea to many producers and were rejected many times until Joseph Papp, a producer, decided to produce Hair at the New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater. The music was written by Galt MacDermot. After the show was produced, many other production companies staged the show all over the world. “Hair” finally opened on Broadway in 1968. 

Based on the sexual revolution and the hippie culture,  many of the musical’s songs became anthems for the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. Some scenes caused a lot of controversy, such as the nude scenes, when it first came out. Their voice is the voice of the idealistic peace and love hippies. They make the government the bad guy due to the Vietnam War and all the violence.The hippies make fun of political officials and perceive each religion as something amusing.

    The characters fight to prevent their friend Claude from joining the war. Claude needs to figure out whether he is going to resist the draft or risk his life in order to serve his country.  Berger,a good friend of Claude’s, Shelia, Berger’sgirlfriend, and their friends scrabble to balance out their lives and figure out how to deal with love, the revolution, drugs and their parents.

    The musical is filled with harmonious tunes and colorful costumes with characters so lively it looks as though they actually are on a trip to the fourth dimension. The actors look like they are having the time of their lives, which makes it difficult not to run up on stage with them. And luckily for all those dancing in their seats, at the end of the show the hippies invite the audience up on stage to dance with them to the classic “Let the Sun Shine In.” 

    The show was very entertaining but might not be the right show for a conservative audience.

     There are many scenes with nudity, sexuality and drugs but the characters make all those things look very appealing. During the song “Walking inSpace,” they were passing around a joint in the middle of Central Park. They felt happy and together. Reality was no longer real for them. That sense of happiness transcended into the audience.

     There is one line in the song that talks about what it’s like to be high and their anti-war beliefs. “All the clouds are cumuloft/ walking in space/ oh my god your skin is soft/ I love your face/ how dare they try to end this beauty?” 

    This question may be referring to the Vietnam War, but it is as timely now. “Hair” successfully manages to both instigate social thought and bring pure enjoyment to the audience.

Manyparents are feeling the effects of the recession and children arefeeling these effects too, not only in their homes, but also in schoolwhere they spend most of their time. New York City budget shortfalls arecausing many schools to have to cut back. Could this affect the qualityof today’s students’ education attending public schools? Some studentsbelieve so.

Oneeffect of the NYC budget cuts  is the lack of textbooks in the classroom.At the Museum School, a high schoollocated in Cheslea, there are notextbooks in the tenth grade English class or math class. Mr. Vincent  Chin, a tenth grade math teacher, hands out textbooks on a disc, which he puts together and pays for himself.

Mr.Aaron Hinds, a history teacher at the High School of GraphicCommunication Arts, in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, says there islittle money to provide supplies at his school.

“Ourindividual vouchers for purchasing school supplies have shrunkento about $150 a year while teachers usually spend several times thatamount,” he said.  “Also, all of a sudden there is no money for office materials. Youknow how teachers love to make photocopied handouts, right? Well, now wehave to get many supplies out of our own pockets. Kids ask us forbasic supplies and there are times when the school cannot afford themand neither can the family.”

ShamliSharma, a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School, a prestigious schoolin Fort Greene, Brooklyn, said her school has little money for sportsteams and little money for new textbooks as well.  This can be frustrating particularly when learning may be based upon outdated material.  Ms. Sharma expressed frustration that that her economics class had very outdated textbooks.

Budget cuts affect the very mission of some schools.  The Museum School has a mission to provide a museum-based curriculum.  Students once spent two days a week learning in museums, but now spend only a single day.  And the quality of the museum curriculum has been cut too. Thecurrent tenth-grade classes once had module teachers, who developed themuseum-based curriculum and ensured that the curriculum was meaningfullyrelated to classroom work. However, as a result of the budget cuts, themodule teachers have been let go, and the regular classroom teachershave taken on this responsibility.

Mr. David  Albin, a tenth-grade English teacher at the Museum School, takes on the added responsibility with enthusiasm.  However, Amy Takase, a junior at the School misses, the energy of the program when it was run as a separate module.  

Amypointed out that her school is very limited in terms of classes andextracurricular activities. She said she resented going to public schooldue to the lack of extra classes and clubs. After being accepted intoher current school, she wanted to give up because there weren’t manyclasses that interested her besides the common five subjects, English,Math, History, Spanish, and the occasional special class in the mornings.  Amy said she hopes things will get better but that the prospects of her school improving seem bleak.

“Theschool needs AP classes and more sports teams because it makes anindividual stand out on their college resumes. Not only for college, itis also limiting to the school’s majority if they aren’t able toparticipate in activities they enjoy,” she said.

Shamli,from Brooklyn Tech, said the budget cuts had affected her own sportsteam and now she and her teammates  have to cover the sport’s expenseswithout the support of the school. “Fundingfor a lot of the popular teams was cut such as basketball and football.Teams that weren’t as popular received no funding such as tennis and itaffected my team because we had to pay for the uniforms with ourparents’ money.”

GabriellaCarr-Molatski, a sophomore attending Eleanor Roosevelt High School onthe Upper East Side, said she hears little of the effect on her schooldue to the recession but that there have been some budget cuts.

“Imean there hasn’t been a lot of budget cuts but some permanentsubstitute teachers were fired due to the cutbacks. When our homeroomteacher is absent, we just get an extra class or two.“

Gabriellasaid she is one of the lucky students. “My school is a new school, andbecause of
this, we are given more funds than other NYC public schools.”

ChelseaGarden, a senior at the Museum School, feels like there is not an equaldistribution of money and resources among schools and classes. “Ifeel that I’m being deprived of an education,” she said. “I hear abouteveryone else’s experiences in their schools and I sort of envy them. Ifeel that the freshman and sophomore years are receiving all of theresources and attention versus the upper-classmen. No one should receivepublic education as a gift. It should all be equal because every schoolshould want their students to succeed to the highest degree.”