The Paw Print

Abdelali El Bakhar is a student at Thomas Edison High School where he will be a junior in the fall. His hobbies are a form of creative expression; he enjoys playing basketball as well as listening to rock, hip-hop, and old-school rap. When he has spare time he watches the TV comedy series “George Lopez.” His favorite movie is “Man on Fire,” starring Denzel Washington, and his favorite comedian is Dave Chappelle. When it’s time to eat, Abdelali prefers a slice of fresh pizza.

     If he could change anything in the world what would it be? “No cigarettes,” says Abdelali, who is against smoking.  For now, Abdelali is looking forward to attending college when he graduates high school. He would like to become a business or entrepreneur major and in the future own his own business. He also hopes to get the chance to travel, with Paris and Tokyo at the top of his list. Abdelali has set great goals for himself. There is no doubt that he will become successful and be able to pursue all his dreams, including the places he desires to see and go to. 

Many are dying in China over an ethnic issue involving Han factory workers and rural Uighurs. China has gone through a series of turmoil over the rural Muslim Uighurs due to them being new to the area and as a result conflict erupts. The Han, even though they were unable to get used to the Uighurs, did not resort to violence until rumors spread. The rumors were first just taxi driver stories. But then on midnight a few day after an anonymous internet posting that claimed that six Uighur men had raped two Han women, blood was spilled on the street. During a four-hour street fight Han and Uighur workers bludgeoned  each other with stones, pieces of steel, and fire extinguishers.

When the morning sun appeared in the horizon police finally intervened. There were two Uighur men fatally wounded and up to 120 people injured, many of which were Uighurs according to authorities. One man who witnessed the fight said “People were so vicious they just kept beating the dead bodies.” According to that person the entire battle involved more than 1,000 workers. These ethnic tensions will still be there and people wonder what the Chinese government might do about this.

It is amazing how many of these great shows have been canceled. Shows such as kyle XY and Desperate Housewives have so many fans and it is questionable whether these television shows will start up again.
Many programs have recently been canceled and replaced by silly shows that are half as entertaining. Apparently CBS is the only channel that increased its amount of viewers. All the other channels have been losing viewers due to show cancellations. This is very unfortunate because we all want quality entertainment and these networks are not meeting the needs of the public. The public will lose interest if all the good shows get cut. There must be some way to keep these shows up and running but the cost is a real issue. Time will tell which direction these networks are going and hopefully they won’t go downhill.

         During my sophomore year of high school, my English teacher showed us clips from an HBO series called “Def Poetry.” The show was founded by hip-hop mogul and co-founder of Def Jam Records, Russell Simmons. Poets would take command of the stage and would begin to recite their pieces effortlessly, emotionally, and passionately to an enthusiastic audience. This was my first encounter with the spoken word.

        A few months ago, I was flipping through channels on the television when I stopped at HBO. It was airing a show called “Brave New Voices” which turned out to be similar to “Def Poetry.” However, instead of adults performing, it was high school teenagers. Teams across America were competing in the 11th Annual International Youth Brave New Voices Grand Poetry Slam. It was just so amazing to watch people my age spit about their deepest feelings though crazily creative metaphors and such powerful voices. They were able to take me along on their emotional journeys when they were speaking and I think all writers want their audiences to experience that through their works.

        Slam poetry has been a rising trend and movement over the past few years. In fact, just two months ago, the White House held its first poetry jam session organized by First Lady Michelle Obama according to an article in the Washington Post. The article stated that poetry slams first originated in the 1980’s in Chicago. Poets would stand face to face, competing to see who could make up the most creative or clever lyrics instantly. Since then, the unique type of poetry has been gaining more recognition in the arts and entertainment industry as seen with the series in HBO. Celebrities such as Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kanye West, and Talib Kweli have all shared their words in “Def Poetry.” There have also been more events and slams in cities. In NYC, an organization known as the Urban Word NYC has been helping the youth with writing and especially the spoken word. It even holds a teen poetry slam every year.

        Poetry comes in all styles and forms. In our generation, rap is already a prominent and popular type of poetry and I have a feeling that the spoken word is not too far behind. Having poets perform their work is definitely different than just reading poetry. By seeing them live in front of you spitting their words, you really know that you are in the moment with them. As the volume of their voices climb, you feel yourself getting nervous or excited and as they speak about their experiences, you feel as if you were in the past with them. Maybe it’s just me being overly excited about this movement, but ever since I heard the spoken word, there was no going back.

Check out a clip if you guys are interested =)

With the school year fast approaching, many incoming seniors are preparing to apply to college, anticipating what may be in store for them beyond their familiar high school walls. Thousands of city students will be applying to community, private, CUNY, SUNY schools, out of state and even out of country schools; whichever best suits their interests.

Many native New York students have had the luxury of not needing a car to commute everywhere, having a local pharmacy practically walking distance from their apartment and never having to worry about finding a good cup of coffee. It has to be amazing growing up in one of the most diverse, fast-paced cities in the world.

Yet when thinking about college, many former high school students have chosen to leave this urban lifestyle behind in search of a more suburban college experience. With a variety of plenty of upstate SUNY schools, a percentage of college freshmen have migrated North in search of independence and self discovery.

  Unfortunately the college process isn’t over the instant the acceptance letter comes in the mail. The transition has different outcomes for different people. Many college freshman who go to sleep away colleges are transferring to ones closer to home, out of homesickness and fear that they can’t cope so far from their comfort zones of where they grew up.

     Yet I wonder why the transition is so difficult for those who ache for the freedom that can only be found without their parents. It is natural to have uneasy adjustments when leaving home for the first time. If moving back home helps prevent the risk for such behaviors as dropping out, class failure, substance abuse, and depression, then how are we ever supposed to survive without our parents? On the other hand, moving away from pampering Mommy and Daddy for the first time and having to deal with nasty college professors, copious amounts of homework, and obnoxious new roommates can be very difficult. But is moving back home the only solution? Do some colleges give false hope that their institute will give kids the best years of their lives?

These factors must be taken into close consideration, especially when parents are doling out thousands of dollars. How can students know what kind of college is truly right for them? Is moving back giving up, or are we just giving in to our desire to do what ever comes easiest to us?

The idea of going off to college may seem scary for many of us. A lot of people are intimidated by colleges because they feel obligated to attend either an Ivy League or one of the top 25 colleges/universities in the nation. This is especially true with children of Asian parents. I’m not talking about my parents necessarily, but Asian parents, as a whole all push for their children to go to the better schools of the world. They do not open their eyes to the education beyond the Ivy Leagues, but instead have a narrow perspective that limits their children to feel insecure about themselves now that they feel obligated to attend the Ivy Leagues. The parents’ mindset on universities/colleges is not their fault at all. It is actually their way of saying “I love you” when they push their children to a higher education. Knowing that they themselves are immigrants, Asian parents often work for the whole day and have little time for their children. They feel useless in terms of helping their children succeed academically and know that the only thing they can do is to give money for the children to attend tutoring centers in addition to pressuring them positively through encouragement and support.
Another reason why we should not blame parents for their pressure is because they are not exposed nor educated about the world outside of Ivy Leagues. The Asian parents have only heard about how prestigious and well known the Ivy Leagues are from what other people say. Because it is not often that people talk about the less popular schools, the Asian parents have little to no chance of being exposed to the honors program of the CUNYs and SUNYs that they offer and that are equally as vigorous and distinguished as the Ivy Leagues.
I have talked to many of my friends’ parents in regards to the schools they want to attend. Most, but not all of the Asian parents responded with hopes for their children of attending Ivy League solely because graduates of Ivy Leagues have it easy when applying for jobs. What is ubiquitous among parents is the notion that they don’t want their children to walk in their shoes and have a future similar to theirs. Instead, they want their children to have a smooth transition into the working place and believe that the only way for this to happen is if they have an Ivy League school on their resume.
In essence, many of the Asian students are forced to work assiduously in order to attend an Ivy League. They have been stained all their life with the impression that getting into an Ivy League would mean success in life. But we can not entirely place the blame on the Asian parents became ultimately, they want the best for their children and pushing them into Ivy Leagues serves as their method of giving them a better life to becoming better and contributing members to society. A Chinese proverb once stated, “A book holds a house of gold” but do Ivy Leagues necessarily provide us with a house of gold?

America, let alone New York City, is in the midst of an epidemic—a severe love affair with cellular phones which blossomed into a full-fledge addiction that is constantly interfering with personal matters. According to FOXNews.com, these cell phones are now known as “the new cigarettes;” people fiddling with them in elevators, whipping them out as soon as they leave the office, taking “cell phone breaks” on the job and chatting away while walking, driving, etc. And what about when we all (don’t even deny it) get tricked into thinking that our phone is ringing when it’s actually not—a phenomenon that has been dubbed as “phantom ringing.” It’s apparent now in 2009 that everywhere you look or even sneak a mere glance, no matter which direction, there’s bound to be at least one person on their blackberry or their iPhone. Sometimes there’s even a whole crowd of these cellphone users. It’s funny that now at this day of age every aspect of human lifestyle is dependant on these technologies, namely the cell phone. But I guess who wouldn’t be dependent on such small and compact device? I know I’m definitely attached to mine. Not only has technology evolved cellular phones to do the beyond necessity—calling—but it has also expanded to texting, taking pictures, emailing, using the internet wirelessly, and all sorts of that nature. I’ve even heard people starting to rely on cell phones as their alarm clock to start their morning with. It’s really quite odd how cell phones have been dominating the technology industry, practically winning over its nearest competitor—the computer. However, every uprising has a downfall. The dependency on these cell phones has gone way too far. Because of short-handed texting, people have lacked in putting their verbal communications into use as they find texting much easier to communicate with whilst busy in a class or during a job. However, because of these short-handed text, America is now on the verge of suffering a huge decrease in its literacy rates—people just don’t know how to spell anymore. “I dunno wat u talking abou.” It looks incredibly stupid. Where is the common sense nowadays? Everyone’s too busy involved in their cell phones worrying about who called or who texted instead of enjoying life’s everyday gifts. I understand that sometimes it’s hard to put down something you practically depend entirely on, but maybe for once the phone could be turned on silent and enjoy the simple life…you know, the way it used to be before this mass epidemic.

Why would hundreds of New Yorkers spend the night huddled against the stone walls surrounding Central Park?  Spending the night on the street is usually a last resort, having exhausted all other possibilities.  $0$0Last week, the promise of tickets to the Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night lured many New Yorkers out of their homes to camp out in front of the Delacorte Theatre’s box office.  Motivated by a chance to see screen actress Ann Hathaway and a passion for Shakespeare, people start lining up at 10 PM the night before.  $0$0They came by the hundreds, carrying food, drinks, books, board games, lawn chairs, and sleeping bags.  One group of four collapsed on a sagging air mattress.  A man snored loudly on a beach chair.  The crowd formed what looked like a serpentine refugee camp. The line curved down the path, around a hill and out of sight.  Bicycle deliverymen from Andy’s Deli delivered hot breakfasts.  Those who arrived after 3 AM could not expect to see the show.  $0$0Justin Holden, age 30, of Queens held the coveted spot at the front of the line.  He had been staking out his spot since 10 PM the night before.  He and a friend waited for about fifteen hours for their tickets. This was his first time at Shakespeare in the Park.  When asked if he would do it again, he said, “yeah, definitely!”  Kim Shern agreed.  One of the few at the front who didn’t look exhausted, she enjoyed the experience of waiting online so much that she anticipated going again on Sunday night.  This was her third attempt to get tickets.  She was turned away twice before, yet was undaunted.  She slept “as well as you can on cobblestones.”  Her friend, on the other hand, remained awake.  “After all, it is Central Park,” he said with a knowing smile.  $0$0Gardener Gould, age 24, and his party said their packing list included “two packs of cigarettes, two twelve packs of beer, and vodka.”  Despite that, they seemed remarkably alert, if somewhat annoyed.  They had been asked about sixty-two times where the end of the line was. They felt completely safe in the park at night.  The police drove by with their flashers periodically.  “Met a lot of wonderful people,” he remarked.  $0$0Farther back in the line sat Becky Hersh and Michael Kelter, both age 22. Their chair was perched on what they dubbed “the rock of hope.”  Anyone behind the “tree of despair”, a skinny tree ten feet behind the flat boulder, had no hope of getting tickets.  Holding an orange beach chair that she called “the chair that I make people sit on in my apartment to demean them,” Becky speculated on whether they would receive tickets.  They’d been told that they had a fifty/fifty chance.  The tickets ran out about twenty feet ahead of Becky and Michael.  “Epic fail,” groaned Michael.  When asked if he would ever wait online again, he scoffed, “God, no.  I kind of got shanghaied into doing it.  She asked me if I wanted to go to Shakespeare in the Park.  I said that sounded great.  Then she told me yesterday we had to wake up at like 3:30!”  Becky and Michael were disappointed,but they had a backup plan.  They were off to a Punk Rock Heavy Metal Karaoke show at Fontana’s.$0$0

    The fashion industry will never let go of its foothold on American women- and that might be a good thing. Women turn to shopping for a “pick-me-up,” make it a social event, and some have made it a ritual. What woman doesn’t have a memory of buying “back to school” clothes in late August or Early September? When many Americans are questioning their economic safety they’re not likely to go out to Chanel and splurge on a new suit jacket- everyone except Anna Wintour.

    According to New York magazine’s The Cut, Wintour is trying to encourage women all over the world to get back out there and use a little plastic! She wants women to remember “just how wonderful shopping can be.” To do this Wintour has started Fashions Night Out, with its own Facebook page. Those in the fashion business who have pledged allegiance, including entire shopping centers and designer Alexander Wang, to the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue are participating in Fashions Night Out. Women in Beijing, Rome, Paris, and New York among other places will enjoy special promotions and events on September 10, the first day of Spring 2010 Fashion Week. 

    This “Night Out” may just push American women in the direction of feeling comfortable shopping for themselves again. Lord  & Taylor knows every woman loves a man in uniform and will be selling calendars of New York firemen for Fashions Night Out. Hopefully I’ll be going to Alexander Wang’s t-shirt signing at Barneys. These events sound like enough to lure women into stores that they’re trying to avoid even walking by right now.