The Paw Print

Today is our last class together. Everyone is on their computers blogging about their experience when taking this class. Journalistic writing was different than what I thought it to be. I didn’t think that we would be learning about how newspapers and reporters work. However it was fun. We had to go out in groups and do man on the street interviews. We were all shy at first and didn’t know how to approach people who would answer our questions. But we had other chances to practice on our interviewing skills when we went out to do the summer heat story and when we went out to do our story on study abroad students. We got to meet new people from our classes and had fun during classes. The college now program gives us a whole hour to eat our lunch while in high school, we only have about half an hour lunch. This summer, a lot of Baruch High School students are taking college now classes so most of the time we would sit together in the area outside the cafeteria or go up to the 8^th floor lounge to eat our lunches. Because we were taking journalistic writing, our room is a computer lab. It is nice that we get surrounded by mac computers and get to sit in nice chairs; it is freezing cold in the room. It seems like the air conditioning is turned on full blast every day. Now that it is time to leave this room, it’s a bit saddening. Now everyone is off to spend their last few weeks having fun and going on vacation because soon school would start again for us. 

Time flies by so fast it seems like college now class just started a few days ago. I can’t believe that today will be my last day here. Of course, I will miss the free lunch and metro card opportunity, however, I will miss being in a college class and working with my peers. It was a great experience, to work and meet with classmates I never seen before. Class was just like a college environment where we listen to lectures in the morning and take notes individually. Then, we use what we were able to grasp from the lectures and put it in exercises and practice. To be honest, I never thought about Journalism being a major I would consider for my career. After taking this class, I had a clear understanding of what Journalism is and how it affects our life. I have a notebook filled with notes from the lectures and I have to admit that the presentation and notes provided from the professor, JeanMarie were great tip points to help us out through the course, and understand what Journalism is.

At first, I was really shy and didn’t want to do real reporting on the streets. It was really difficult for me to open up and have courage to do reporting. But after the practices we did, it got easier and became something fun to do. Not only did I develop better writing skills, I also gained extra writing techniques such as writing news article and opinion pieces. I was able to compare articles we read in newspaper, to the essays we write in school, and realize how different they were in terms of writing style.

Before this course even began, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to catch up with the class and learn in a fast pace. But when class had been starting for weeks already, I realized that Professor was capable of teaching us in depth and in a pace where every student is able to follow. I love how she would elaborate in depth and make sure we were able to understand the concept. To be honest, I was never confused with the lectures she gave and it helped a lot for workshop in the afternoon and other exercises. The most important thing is that I don’t feel pressured by the Professor and that’s what I want college class to be. I love how I can do my work independently, and Professor will be there to help me out.

Normally, I don’t really like to read the newspaper, but after taking this class, we were required to read certain articles from different news company and be quizzed the next day. It became a habit for me to actually pick up a newspaper in the morning to glance at upcoming news.  

On some certain days, Professor will invite editors and staffs from different news company to give us a speech about their career in Journalism world. This was really helpful and relevant to what we are learning and it was a great experience to actually talk to people who write news for us everyday. It gives us a chance to compare how each company work.

 Altogether, I really enjoyed being in this class and it was a fun and great experience. I will definitely miss every moment in this class.

It’s the final day!

This is my final blog of this summer course. I feel gloomy on the last day, knowing that I am never going to see most of the people in this class again. When I first entered this class, I thought it would be another one of those boring writing workshops. However, it is actually very different. I learned a lot about journalistic writing styles. It opened my mind to a whole different type of writing.

The atmosphere of the class is great. The teacher is nice and considerate. What else is there not to like? Well, there is one thing. Tony Davis lied to us that we have couches in our room. I don’t see any couches. But I guess computer chairs would do.

The best part of this class is that we learned to write articles and interview people for information. I am the type of people that would never talk to strangers but, during this course, I learned to suck it up and talk to them. If I want information, it is a must that I talk to strangers no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

Although there is a lot of stress coming to write the articles, it was really fun. I kind of like the stress because it keeps me busy. Otherwise, this summer I would probably be slouching off and waking up at noon. My mind would go numb from all the cartoons and useless things on the Internet.

This is a profession that I may seriously consider in my future. Since I grew up with Asian parents, the only fields my mind was open to was law and medicine. Never had I thought journalism would be an option. It never crossed my mind I could go that way. I am very glad I took this class.

Finishing the college now program is bitter sweet. I will miss it, but I am happy that I learned so much about journalism. I think it was a great class. Going out and interviewing people was something that I found as a great challenge before this class, but this class gave me a lot of practice in that. I also wasn’t that good at writing, but I learned a lot about how to write and how to use good grammar. I also learned about the news world and how they pick the stories that they pick. Its good to know that most newspapers take private people into consideration and try not to say anything that might damage their reputation. Being a news reporter seems very difficult and requires a lot of work. I didn’t really think that before this course. I also learned interesting tricks of journalism such as how to get someone who doesn’t want to talk to you to actually say something. The most interesting part was when we went to the studio. It was really cool to see the sets and how all the news on t.v works. The teacher was great, and made the lessons very interesting and informative. I will definitely consider journalism as a choice for a major.

At first I thought that the class would be very difficult and that I would not be able to do all the work. When I signed up for it, I didn’t have much expectation for it. I thought it would be easy and that we would learn basic writing. I did not consider that we would have to do reporting for it, which is what got me very nervous in the beginning. As the class progressed, however, I learned a ton of stuff that I can use in my life. I especially like the AP style class. The reporting was first very intimidating, but as time went on it became fun. Writing my first article was very challenging and I didn’t know where to start but now I feel like I am way more experienced and better at writing. Journalism had never been a major choice for me before, but now after taking this class I am definitely considering it. It was really nice to see all the guest speakers come in so we could see more into the major and I feel like this class was the perfect insight to the journalism major. Jeanmarie was the best teacher I could’ve asked for. She was very understanding and thought the class very well. It was super informative as well as fun, which overall creates a great summer experience. The news quizzes helped me know what is going on in the world, which I honestly never had a clue of. The only bad thing about the news quizzes was that I always read and even reread before the class began but always seemed to get bad grades on it. If it was me personally I would rather have a news quiz in discussion form so we could just talk about what we read instead of having to remember details. That is my only criticism of the class everything else was perfect.

Today is the last day of Summer College Now 2012! I’m happy and sad; happy that I finally get to go on vacation and sad because it’s the end. The class was great, I learned many things about journalism such as how different the writing is and the history of journalism.  Although the lectures were boring and I had to struggle to not fall asleep in class I suspect this will help me through my future college lectures. I also learned how to interview people (man-on-the-street) and how to take notes. Surprisingly interviewing was one of my favorite parts since I am usually shy but what I learned here will definitely help me in the future. Currently I have no plans for my career but I will keep journalism in mind. To me journalism isn’t something I love but nor is it something I hate. I will take what I learned and the people I meet to grow into a better person. And thank you Jeanmarie Evelly for being such a great teacher.

 Jumping over turnstiles, strolling into the bus from the back door and walking through the emergency door in the subway stations. According to the NYPD, police arrested 1,228 people for fare beating over the past year.

Fare beaters, people who skip their metro fare, cost the MTA $100 million a year, according to the agency. The New York State Senate is looking to increase the fine for fare beaters, and many New Yorkers say they a™re glad to hear it.

“It’s not fair because I have to pay, why shouldn’t you?” said 30-year-old, Julie Gonzales, as she was walking out of the F train station on Broadway and Lafayette Street.

According to an MTA report, 18.5 million people didn’™t pay their subway fare in 2009, an average of over 50,000 New Yorkers everyday.

Current allows the MTA imposes a fine of up to $100, and another $50 fine if the person does not pay the fine or respond to a summons. The proposed law would allow the MTA to bump the fine to as much as $500.

Jann Layton, 28, said it’s not worth the risk.

 “Why would I pay $100 when I can pay $2.50. Who wants to pay a hundred bucks to go on the subway? she said.

“It’™s embarrassing to have someone stop you for $2.50,” agreed 47-year-old school secretary Selina Pauhall.

According to NYPD records the report estimated that a routine offender could expect to get a $100 citation once every six to 13 weeks (the average number of times they get caught), which is actually cheaper than spending the $162 it costs to buy six weekly MetroCard.

Some riders say that the fare ride is too expensive. Fare beater Shelley Wu says she rarely pays her metro fare. Although she has been caught skipping her fare at the 34^th Street Station, she will continue to evade the MTA, she says, fare because it’s cheaper than buying a MetroCard.

“œIt’™s a free ride and the MTA sucks so you gotta screw with them,” she said.

 Zarif, 17, says he ha™s jumped the turnstile in the past.

“Usually to save money, but sometimes I’m in a hurry and the machines don’t work so instead of going to the station with the booth, I just jump” he said. “Not proud of it, by the way. “

The proposed state law, which was introduced by Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, was passed by the State Senate and needs to be approved by the Assembly.

“The MTA and its fare-paying riders shouldn’™t have to spend tens of millions of dollars more each year paying for other people’™s illegal free rides. At a time when every dollar counts, the MTA needs stronger tools to discourage fare-evasion. Higher fines would create a stronger deterrent and remove the incentive which actually encourages people to try and beat the system,” Sen. Fuschillo said in a statement.                                                                                      

Jai Min Luo, a 16- year-old high school student, said she was glad to hear of the proposal.

“œThey are receiving a service so they should pay for it,” she said.

The NYC Transit Department of Security will be also be increasing its Eagle Team Force. ”which helps serve as a deterrent against fare evasion and to assist the NYPD, notifying them about “œhot spots,” locations that are identified as common stops for turnstile jumpers.

“œThis is very much a collaborative effort between NYC Transit and the NYPD, who have been doing a tremendous job of enforcement,” said NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. The value of the Eagle Teams will be in helping customers understand that this is not a free service while alerting the NYPD to the areas where we are experiencing problems.”

But it might not stop some people.

It’™s an option to do it, so I do it. I have never paid for a metro card,” Said John, who lives in the Lower East Side “œEven if I got caught I wouldn’™t pay the fine.”

Angel Alvarez, 17, from Bedford-Stuyvesant, first heard dubstep back in late April. Skimming through his Facebook news feed, he noticed a video post his sister’s boyfriend had made. He clicked on the video, and was “blown away,” by what he heard. Two months later, he began creating his own dubstep music.

Through a Google search he was able to locate a website — Remixer.Clubcreat.com– that allowed him to make dubstep music for free. On the website, he worked on five songs, and completed three in just one month.

“I was amazed that I could make all the different dubstep sounds and beats, and that I was able to do this myself. I felt accomplished,” Alvarez said.

Dubstep is a new genre of club music that’s hit the United States. These new sounds have become popular with New York City teens. And while many can be found listening to it, others such as Alvarez are even creating it themselves. Modern technology like computers and I-pads have made it simple and easy for young people to make their own dubstep beats.

Software such as Reason can be downloaded into computers or laptops, like in the case of 15-year-old Julian Fevry, from Queens.

“I was lucky, I had a friend who had the software and let me borrow it to download onto my computer,” he says.

More expensive software may cost from $150 to almost $500, depending on the version. The prices are that high because Reason is usually used by professional producers and contains a number of soundboards, including drums, loops, dynamics and EQ (equalization).

Teens that aren’t as lucky as Fevry just use the resources they already have. Henry Angel, 18, uses Garage Band, which came with his MacBook laptop. Although it may not have all the professional soundboards Reason has, it does contain the basics needed to create dubstep. Such as MIDI editing, which allows the pitches, velocity and duration of recorded sounds to be changed, and creates “a bass drop that is dubstep’s main attraction,” according to Angel.

Online resources can also be found to make dubstep. When Alvarez was looking for a program he searched “free dubstep software,” and was presented with a number of websites. Remixer.Clubcreat.com helped him come close to the professional sounds of Skrillex—the first dubstep artist he heard.

Professional dubstep artist such as Skrillex, Big Chocolate and Zomboy are often inspiration for teens that are making their own beats.

Regardless of the software that’s being used, teens all agree that creating dubstep is hard. There are multiple boards to manage, and different melodic ranges of notes that have to be put in a certain sequence. One song can take up to a month to make, according to Angel.

“It requires patience, time, effort, and creativeness,” he adds.

However, not all young people see the appeal of dubstep, like 23-year-old Alberto Vilafuente.
 
“It’s just random noise,” he said.

Sitting next to a pile of books, Michael Chen, 11, glances at the one he’s currently reading. He puts it down,  then picks up another. In a short while, he finishes reading all the books in his stack and jumps up to take more off the shelves. He enjoys reading, and frequently comes to the library with his mother. However, the number of new books that he has to choose from is dwindling.

This summer, Chen and his mother have had to go to the Elmhurst Library’s temporary location, a much smaller library than the neighborhood’s permanent one. The permanent library building is undergoing major renovations so that the facility will be larger, with more books and computers. While the project will ultimately bring improvements to the Elmhurst Library, some residents say the construction is an inconvenience.

“I love the library, but I want the library to be done now,” said Chen. “I need more books.”

Others share the same view.

“I spend a lot of my time at the library,” Amelia Lin, 13, said. “When it is larger, I will be able to stay at the library longer because I can look at all the books. But I will have to wait.”

However, there are some residents who seem more opposed to the construction.

 “I have to walk more to get to the temporary location,” said Kong Min Wong, 56. “I don’t like it.”

The temporary location, which is at 85-08 51st Ave., is a block further from the construction site of the former library, which is located on 86-01 Broadway.

The project began in November 2011, according to the Queens Ledger. The Elmhurst Library was demolished so that a larger one could be built. The new $27.8 million library will be completed in 2014 and its size, 30,000 square feet, will be twice the former library’s size.

Stalco, the construction company that is building the new library, says the new building will feature “a steel frame structural system and terracotta-clad façade.” There will also be a teen space, a children’s library, an adult learning center and many other new designs, according to Stalco.

“I can’t wait for the new library,” Chen said. “I really want to go there.”