Month: October 2017

My podcast series would be called “Amber Alert”. It would be fictional, but follow the flow of an S.Town or Serial as a journalist reports on a missing child case.

Set in Chatham, Massachusetts, the story investigates the case of missing 4 year-old Charles Howes. It would be set after-the-fact, and would start with the journalist/narrator describing the history of Amber Alert and then introducing the small town of Chatham.

It would then move on to detailing the day Charles went missing by interviewing Charles’s father, David. David will talk about where he was when he heard the Amber Alert tone for his son that fateful day, and how, because he didn’t think it was his Charles, he didn’t bother looking into it. Only until going to the school to pick Charles up at the end of the day and realising he’s not there does it click for him.

The narrator would pull in some other voices to supplement Episode 1. Charles’s mother (now David’s ex-wife), the police officer in charge of the case, someone from the school, etc. Ideally, 90% of Episode 1 would be setting up the premise of the investigation as a mystery.

But the last minute or so of the episode would twist that and reveal David didn’t lose just one son that day, because it was Charles’s then-9-year-old brother Daniel who abducted and killed him.

The story would then evolve into looking at the after-effects on the family, the signs they felt they missed and a father torn between both wanting to find his son to reconnect on a familial level, and also to confront his son’s killer.

I have two pitch ideas. Both of them are fictional.

The first one would be called “Customs Out of the Closet.” A young woman, Noel, moves into a new studio apartment. There is no furniture there except for a closet. While vlogging the new space, she discovers that her closet is actually a door to the underworld. Except the underworld has travel customs and the office in her closet is one of many checkpoints.

In the first episode, Noel meets the travel customs officer “Bub” in the closet. Bub is interrogating and doing the last checks on someone that looks a lot like Noel’s late grandmother. However, as the interrogation continues, Noel feels that something is not right, and that the spirit is not her grandmother. Noel and Bub discovers that the spirit is indeed not her grandmother, but another spirit attempting to flee the underworld. Bub recognizes Noel’s worth and instead of condemning her soul to the underworld, hires her to work with him.

The second podcast idea would be called “NPC Radio.”** A hermit weapon-smith, David, is well-known for his amazing skill at repairing and creating weapons. The listeners learn more about the world he is in through the conversations he has with customers, and we learn that maybe the world isn’t as idyllic as it first seems.

In the first episode, David’s friend, George, brings a young man to him. George is a guard that works in the closest city. The young man, Horace, is training under George to become a guard. In a sparring match with George, George breaks his heirloom sword by accident. While they are at David’s, Horace reveals bits of his past and he seems like the stereotypical “Chosen One” that will defeat the evil in the world. David agrees to repair the sword and the audience learns that there is something dark over the world, but we just don’t know what yet.

**tentative

Reminder

Pitches for your upcoming assignment (the first of two episodes of a scripted podcast) will be due on Monday, October 23.

The Assignment

The pitch is two-fold: You’ll need to pitch an idea for a scripted podcast that is broad enough/structurally conducive to including multiple episodes. You will also need to provide a specific pitch for what the first episode will consist of. You don’t have to pitch Episode Two yet, but you’re welcome to if it makes sense to do so. The first part should be 12-15 minutes long.

An example of a pitch would be something like this: “The podcast will be called ‘The Graveyard Shift.’ In it, I’ll take listeners on a journey through various jobs that take place at night.” Episode One could follow a vendor or a buyer at the Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx, which opens at 1am and closes at 7am. Episode Two could follow a drag queen through a performance night in Hell’s Kitchen… and so on. Or Episode One could be the first part of one longer story that will continue in Episode Two.

The podcast can be journalistic/verite or it can be fictional, if you’re able to find enough friends and volunteers to play the various parts.

So that’s the assignment. Now, let’s talk about audio storytelling.

For your consideration: The first few minutes of S-Town.

Discuss: How does this capture the listener’s interest? What’s with the whole clock thing?

And one of the all-time great episodes of This American Life.

As you listen to the first part of this episode, I want to you take notes about its structure and the storytelling techniques you notice. We’ll sort of deconstruct it together afterward. For instance, make a note every time we move to a new scene. What signals the transition? How long is each scene? How is narration artfully woven into the nat sounds and sound bites to tell the story? What parts really speak to you and why? How is music used to create a sense of tension or pathos? How does the introduction set the tone and theme for what follows?

We’ll discuss the first part together. For homework, please finish listening to it and before our pitch workshop on Monday we’ll briefly discuss what you thought of the the ending.

When one thinks about Baruch College as a business school, the immediate image people conjure up about graduates starting companies that would hopefully grow into enterprises worth billions of dollars. But for one avid sports fan, the entrepreneur drive steered him into a more low key, but intimate direction.

One classic sports tradition that is the trading and selling of baseball cards. Knowing that there is quite a sizable amount of money to be in this hobby, Baruch alumnus Ralph Schneider dived headfirst into this area with a rapidly growing enterprise exclusively on social media called Ralph’s Rips.

“I’ve played a lot of sports when I was younger, but it’s always been baseball. I’ve been collecting cards for ten years. It started with my local card shop in Brooklyn. And I still go there to this day.”

After a decade of collecting baseball cards from various eras, Schneider realized that his simple hobby could also turn out be very lucrative business. Earlier this August, Schneider opened both a Facebook and Instagram page for Ralph’s Rips. While sharing sentimental memories towards brick and mortar card shops, the decision to make it as an online only enterprise was due to changing trends in retail.

“As much as I love the local card shop, as a platform for buying and selling cards it’s dying out unfortunately. While people should always support their local stores, it’s not a wise decision business wise to do physical retail in the world of internet commerce.”

While Schneider started the business on his own accord, he gives a lot of credit his father, who encouraged him to start collecting cards—perhaps as a means of vicariously living out his own dreams.

“My dad really started taking me to purchase cards and it made me interested in the hobby. In fact, he used to have a complete set of 1969 Topps baseball cards that would be worth a lot of money today. But his mom, my grandma, made him get rid of them. So I guess he wanted me to keep all my cards.”

People interested in checking out Ralph’s Rips can follow them on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

With the emergence of Pete Davidson on Saturday Night Live, and the hit TruTV show Impractical Jokers, it’s clear that Staten Island has become a breeding ground for funny people. Today, the Staten Island standup comedy community is larger than ever, and the rest of the city is awaiting their next breakout comedian.

While the Island is notorious for its lack of night life and entertainment, there’s a rising standup comedy community that’s giving locals a fun night out, and they only have to go as far as their local comic book shop, Comic Book Jones, home of the monthly comedy showcase, Standup Comic Book Jones.

“It’s a show we run every month out of Comic Book Jones,” says actor and comedian Nick Carra. “There’s so many colors in here. Some kid already had a seizure and threw up outside. That was pretty cool.”

The comedian who had a seizure is doing fine now and performed later that evening, but Nick digresses:

“We do it the last Friday of every month. It’ a free show with bring your own booze. BYOB: you can’t loose with that. And it’s the funniest collection of people I think I’ve ever been a part of.”

The environment isn’t as formal as a typical comedy club. There’s some couches near the microphone, and the rest is standing-room only. The casual environment allows comedians to engage with the audience on different levels. Steven Duca is introducing a game to the show this month.

“A new thing we’re starting at Comic Book Jones tonight is we have a bingo going on, where the crowd could play for $2.00 a piece for a cash prize and we have some comic prizes from fourth bingo and on, and what it is things that comics here normally do: Like, I’m Duca on the chart, Steven Duca full name, and I’m autistic So on here is Duca says autism more than ten times because that’s like my whole bit. It’s something new, something fresh for the crowd.”

Duca is a fan favorite at Comic Book Jones. His fan base has grown so large that they’ve earned the nickname, The Duca Army. His career got off to a rocky start, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing standup.

“My career started in this store really. I did standup six years ago. I bombed terribly. It was one of the worst nights of my life. I swore up and down I’d never do this again. I shop here regularly, I’m in here all the time. The owner of the store, Sako Jones was like, “you should tell your joke. I have this joke about how Family Feud causes racism in America. He’s like “you should just do it. And I did it and I haven’t stopped since.”

Owner, Sako Jones has seen so many comedians like Duka grow since creating the monthly standup event at his store, and the event itself has grown with them.

“We’re not just a comic book store, we’re also kind of a communal space for artists in a lot of ways to express themselves. We’ve done 24-hour comic day to what we’re doing tonight which is Standup Comic Book Jones which actually started as an open mic night,” says Jones. “But It’s not an open mic night anymore because the talent on Staten Island was so strong. I think this is our sixth or seventh one, and after the third we decided it needed to become a show because the talent was so strong and comedians were coming from other boroughs as well who wanted to be a part of it because they heard that it was a really good show: not a good mic, but a good show.

Comic Book Jones has groomed dozens of the Islands funniest comedians, and still continues to do so every month.

“For more experienced comics I wanted this to be a night where they could try out new material and for more talented newer comics, I don’t wanna say younger, could kinda cut their teeth a little in an environment that’s filled with other comedians who are supportive,” says Jones.

The support of the community surrounding this show gives confidence to up and coming comics, and inspires them to branch out and do shows at other venues.

“I do comedy 4 or 5 times a week now and I’m trying to make a career of it. So this is a really big show for me and all the comics on Staten island,” says Duca.

Next month’s show at Comic Book Jones will be Halloween themed, and comedians and audience members are strongly encouraged to wear costumes. Other venues to catch local comedy on Staten Island include Liberty Tavern in West Brighton and the Looney Bin in Travis.

 

 

 

 

 

In our days when new dating apps are popping up like mushrooms during the fall, anyone with a smartphone can have an access to it. Anyone! Not only millennial, their parents, as well, found their way in online dating. Our reporter, Yulia Rock, spoke to above 40s singles in New York City.

I am here with Joe Danger at his friend’s apartment on Upper East Side. He is sipping a beer and swiping left and right, well mostly right on the Bumble app because he thinks that the best-looking women are on there. Joe is 54. He uses a fake online name, inspired by Anthony Winner’s nickname “Carlos Danger.”

“He used that fake name when you know he was trying to get girls.”

Joe has been using online dating apps and sites for nearly two years. By now he has a profile on almost all of them including Tinder, Bumble, Coffee meets Bagel, Okcupid, hinge, happen, the league, match …He heard about online dating only from his single friends. And after his recent divorce, at first, he was very excited to try out the apps and spent hours searching for the right match. However, his fire soon has depleted.

“Now 5-10 min max a day, I don’t even want to meet too many people anymore. One or two I am dating now, nothing serious, but maybe it will be.” His new scenario of dating also changed.

“I want to talk less and less, sometimes you talk a lot and get along very well and then you meet, and it does not work. So I text a bit and ask them for a coffee.”

Eventually, Joe learned that online dating can get expensive too, so he stopped doing dinners. He felt that some women were taken advantage of his generosity and simply used him to get free meals. But things like that happen to the best of us. Even outside of online dating.

Stephan Corillo, 42 years old New York-based chief, has a bit different perspective on the online scene. He, unlike Joe, does not believe in online dating. From his experiences, he learned that people are often dishonest in their profiles. Most of his “coffee” online dates turned into friendships. But, Corillo is really keen about online hooking up.

“I use Grindr, Adam for Adam, etc. Hooking up is a daily thing for me. I go in and in an hour I am having sex. Could be one, two, three times a day. It’s too easy.” Even though his online hooking ups are easy, sometimes they get risky too.

“I don’t know what I did, but he suddenly said, “If you don’t get out of my room in 2 minutes, I will kill you.” And he was like this big guy. I was so scared, I had to jump out. He threw my clothes to me, and I was in a hallway, naked; changing in front of an elevator, sweating, scared because this guy from the room was still screaming, “I can still see you, get out. I will kill you.” I got out of this thinking that I would never do it again.” That near-death experience did not deter Corillo for long.

“The next day, I was still horny, I hooked up with three guys.”

Corillo admits that it is dangerous, and he has to choose his battles carefully.

There are nearly 54 million single people in America and 49 million of them already tried the online dating, as recent Statistic Brain research Institute estimated. In addition, over the past few years, the number online daters between ages 35-54 increased by over 20%. And the recent Statistic Brain research concluded there are more men, 52.4%, out there fishing for their mate than women.

“Some women online who just want a friend, but I don’t need one. I am trying to have a romantic relationship. I think it’s possible,” Danger still hopes for romance even if it’s online. Corillo, on the other hand, truly believes that his love will be found through real-life dating.

Danger still hopes for romance even if it’s online. Corillo, on the other hand, truly believes that his love will be found through real-life dating.

Thank you for listening.

It was Yulia Rock for Baruch College.

 

Earlier this month The Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting, occurring approximately five months after the tragic bombing at an Ariana Grande show in Manchester, England is another example of a concert that was chosen as a target for a deadly attack. A gunman sat on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas casino, shooting and targeting the concertgoers of The Route 91 Harvest Festival killed 58 people and injured 527 people, becoming the deadliest shooting in American history.

Within the last three years, more and more concerts and festivals have been targeted as soft targets. In 2015, three heavily armed men entered the Le Bataclan in Paris 30 to 45 minutes after the Eagles of Death Metal started their performance, shooting into the crowd and taking hostages. May 2016, Irving Plaza experienced a deadly shootout moments before rapper T.I. was scheduled to perform.  This past May a deadly bombing outside the security barriers of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England killing 22 people and injuring 250 others. With recent attacks on shows, a total of 295 people were killed.

“I was originally going to buy a ticket, at the last minute because T.I. is like one of my favorite rappers, but I didn’t go because I had an appointment to go, but when I caught the news I was completely shocked. Because I was intentionally gonna go to that concert and I was thinking to myself had I gone it would’ve ended badly for me,” said a New York City resident, Jason Fagon.

At prominent venues, security and sometimes police presence have been increasing, particularly since the Manchester bombing of this year. Jennifer Brown, a part-time security guard at the annual Brooklyn arts festival Afropunk, said increasing security has been a challenge.

“As a security guard here at Webster Hall, we try to make sure that everyone is safe and has a good time, you know. Unfortunately, there’s so much that we can do, since a lot of us aren’t NYPD officers. We don’t have metal detectors like at the Barclays and we don’t have the manpower to get NYPD here every time there’s a concert. It’s been tough.”

Last month, New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne refused to go through security and skipped the 2nd Annual Fall Ball 2017 in Columbia, South Carolina. According to the Colonial Life Arena, it was reported that Lil’ Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., refused to perform as the headliner when security reinforced the venue’s security procedures and wasn’t willing to make an exception for Carter and chance a safety risk.

“It kind of bothers me when musical acts thinks that they can just get around security, especially with their entourage. As someone who does security, it’s my job to make sure that everyone is safe and I think that musical acts think that security is only to keep fans and or stalkers away. But it’s my job to keep all of the staff members, the fans and pretty much everyone safe, whenever there’s a concert, is taking place,” said Brown.

Concerts can be considered an easy target for people that plans these attacks on innocent bystanders that are in one space.Because concerts are becoming more and more of a soft target for attacks, people are told “be aware, don’t be afraid” being observant of one’s surrounding and alerting the proper authorities such as security and or present police officers of any suspicious behavior can lower the chances of tragedic incidents such as The Route 91 Harvest Festival from happening again in the future.

 

By Dorothy Pitti

Year-round, New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation employees can be found off the coast of Long Island out on boats collecting water samples to test for safe clamming conditions. We sent journalist Dorothy Pitti along on a routine collection trip to report on the process and importance behind this sampling.

As the motor slowly lowers into the water of the Long Island sound, New York State DEC employees Kate Dieck and Mike DeMarco prepare for their routine water run- and I’m going with them.

The DEC, or department of environmental conservation, is responsible for regulating and protecting New York’s natural resources. For Mike and Kate, this means doing daily trips throughout different areas on the coast of Long Island collecting water samples. The samples that they collect are then brought back to the lab, where they are tested for- let’s just say- cleanliness.

“So we’re going out to all the different growing samples, and each station that we have to take, we’re gonna have to do it at incoming tide, and each station that we have to take is testing for fecal coliform in the water,” Dieck explains to me.
“So poop basically?”
“Yes, so basically any amount of rain, over rainfall, or anything that washes into the water,birds, dogs, any kind of animal.

So where might these sample results hold the most significance? If you’re a shellfish fan- you might want to listen up.

Ever wonder where those clams you ate at that restaurant came from? How about the ones you see on sale at the fish or supermarkets? If you’re anywhere in New York, chances are- they came from the Long Island Sound. These findings are crucial- considering whatever is in the water- may end up on your plate.

“Each station has a specific bottle number, so each station has like a different area where clammers usually are,” says Dieck.
“So you’re basically testing the water… the waters where the clams are. Because claims are filter feeders, so basically they’re filtering in the water. So if the water is contaminated, then so are the clams, and we can’t eat them. It’s dangerous, you can literally get sick and die.”

All of the results from the water sampling are forwarded directly to the FDA.

“The shellfish industry depends on us going out and getting these water samples,” says Demarco, “because if they do not monitor the water quality, the FDA can shut down the areas, and people would be without a job that are employed in that division.”

According to the DEC’s website, temporary closures can occur when an area that is normally open experiences sudden, short-term degradations in water quality. This could be the result of excessive amounts of stormwater runoff, or as Kate explained, the presence of harmful toxins in the water.
The website also states that temporary closures are also implemented when predictable conditions pose a threat to water quality. For example, during high-use periods such as holidays and special events, where the chance for recreational boaters to discharge waste overboard increases.

Today’s trip is along the coast of Moriches East, a town about 75 miles east of Manhattan.

Our 21 foot boat looks like a regular fishing boat, only instead of fishing poles we have one 4 foot white pole with a cylinder shaped clasp at the end. the clasp will hold our glass tubes as we dip them down into the water for samples.

“You have to take the sample 6 inches down and you want to fill the bottle almost three quarters of the way full,” says Dieck. “The lab needs room to shake it when they do all the testing, so you can’t fill it to the rim, otherwise it will come out as an inaccurate reading.”

As Kate collects the first sample, she puts a cap on the number labeled glass tube, and places it in a cooler of ice, since the samples must be kept at no more than 10 degrees celsius.

After a nice ride and several more water scoops, It was time to head back to shore.

Once we unload our cooler of samples out of the boat and into our truck, we reel in the boat for the ride back to the lab. Our 16 samples from 16 areas will be handed over for testing, and only time- specifically 24 hours- will tell the outcome.

For up-to-date results, you can view the official descriptions of all shellfish closures in New York State on the DEC website.

In the meantime, here’s to hoping today’s samples were home to your future baked clams.

When the earth shook in Mexico City, and as the humanitarian crisis deepens in Puerto Rico devastated by Hurricane Maria, heart-broken Hispanics in Queens, New York come together to mobilize efforts in sending help to their motherlands. Mexico and Puerto Rico have both been living in critical conditions after being hit with Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and extreme flooding. Storm victims are continuously waiting for basic needs, such as water, and food. Reporter for Baruch College, Tiffany Ponce, will be covering the event.

“Bienvenidos, Bienvendios!” DJ Andresrosero said as the Fuerza Mexico, Fuerza Puerto Rico event began. “Muchas gracias a Evelyn Santos. Gracias por la invitacion y por compartir tu espiritu solidario con todo los Latinos de Nueva York.”

Which translates to,“Welcome, Welcome!” DJ Andresrosero said as the Fuerza Mexico, Fuerza Puerto Rico event began. “Thank you very much to Evelyn Santos. Thank you for the invitation and for sharing your spirit of solidarity with all the Latinos in New York.”

Evelyn Santos is a 24-year-old Ecuadorian woman, who is filled with love for her Hispanic community. Every other day, Santos is a full-time student at Queensborough Community College and a sales associate at Swarovski. This week, she planned and hosted the Fuerza event to raise funds for the victims of Mexico and Puerto Rico. The event took place in a local restaurant called D’Antigua in Jackson Heights, Queens. Fuerza has been created to bring the Hispanics of the community together for a good cause. One hundred and seventeen Hispanics participated in the event, showing their love and support.

“Something inside me was like I want to do something, I want to be able to help out because if it was one of us in this situation, I would like to receive help.” Santos said. “Maybe I’m going to have 10 people, maybe I’m going to have 200 people show up. Whatever we can collect, whatever we can do, I have the opportunity to get it done here. “

In only 3 days, Santos used her contacts, resources, and social media to put together the event, bringing the Hispanic community to join her at D’Antigua. Santos contacted DJ Andresrosero, DJ Franklin, and Dj Emjay to promote the event, in hopes of a bigger and better outcome.

Carolina Gomez, 23, a close friend to Santos, isn’t surprised that Santos would use her free time to give back, as she describes Santos as having a big heart. Although, Gomez admits she was taken back a bit on the outcome of the event.

“This event brings all the Hispanic communities together, and it is nice to see everyone come and support. It is really mind-blowing seeing so many different countries, so many different nationalities come together for a great cause,” said Gomez.

Hurricane Maria’s catastrophic impact on Puerto Rico has left the island completely crippled and without power as residents’ struggle to pick up the pieces. The majority of homes, roads and vegetation across the island have been destroyed. The quake in Mexico caused buildings to sway in Mexico City and sent people throughout the city fleeing from homes and offices. Millions of people, in two different locations, were, and still are in danger, while President Trump took to Twitter to address other issues such as the NFL protest.

“The group of my friends that are helping aren’t Mexican or Puerto Rican. They were like, these people need help and a lot of them acted right away. President Trump hasn’t done anything to help Mexico or Puerto Rico, or maybe it has taken him so long because it is not in his best interest to, he could’ve done much more than I can,” Santos said.

The road to recovery will be long. Puerto Rico, after the storm, is expected to remain off the electricity grid for the rest of October. Authorities in Mexico have confirmed at least 2000 buildings collapsed or suffered structural damage in Mexico City during the 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The Trust Fuerza Mexico, created by the business community in Mexico, will reconstruct houses, schools, buildings, and some historical monuments

“For tonight, I didn’t know what to expect to be honest. My goal was at least $1,000, let’s see where we get but like I said, my mind set is I know one donation more, or 200 donations more is something we didn’t have before,” Santos said.

Evelyn Santos raised $1,143 in her Fuerza Mexico, Fuerza Puerto Rico event. She will be splitting the funds equally between Red Cross and Diego Luna’s fundraiser. In addition to the money raised, Santos collected many items victims need daily and has already sent them out. Gomez and Santos have joined together to plan a second fundraiser. The fundraiser will take place on October 21st. They are aiming to have a bigger outcome and raise double.

“Fuerza Mexico, Fuerza Puerto Rico,” DJ Andresrosero repeated throughout the night.

“I will always be apart of this community, regardless of where I’m at. I will always come back here. I will always have business here. I will always have family here. So, those things will never change. So, I will always be, you know, tied to New York.” – Carmelo Anthony

This Anthony Aiken reporting from Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks. The blue and orange maplewood tiles still shine bright underneath the concave ceiling of the arena. The sounds of the ball bouncing is still electric, the screech from the players sneakers are still piercing, and the excitement and optimism from the fans outside still add to the anticipation of New York Knicks’ returning. Lets go Knicks! But something is different. On September 23, 2017, Carmelo Anthony was traded from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“What you’re asking Melo to do is ‘Here is the ball’. Oh lord have mercy I can’t wait to see him in that position.” – Stephen A. Smith (ESPN)

NBA fans always expect the unexpected and this trade, was just that. I mean, who could’ve seen this trade happening. Well, there is one person. A New York City based photographer Josh attended fashion week a couple of days before the trade occurred.

“Under assignment, you are supposed to be capturing the atmosphere of the event, of what is going on over there. So ofcourse when you see A-list celebrities, people that are so influential such as Carmelo and Russell, your first instinct is to just start shooting. Whether or not you going to actually get something usable, you know, you don’t know. I know that the quality of my work is good, but I cant control what they are going to talk about or what they’re going to do.”

Josh captured the perfect picture worth a thousand words. Hoodie Melo and Triple Double Russ. Carmelo’s last days in New York. The instagram captions are endless. The instagram post on High Snobiety’s instagram page is now over 22,000 likes.

“I was lucky enough to see them joking around with each other, just talking like friends. So, I was getting shots. I had seen them getting a little bit more friendly and then joking around. And then once I saw Carmelo start to laugh, Russell start to tell some jokes, it was the perfect timing. So, I really capitalized on it and got some good shots.”

When you first look at the photo, before the trade, you see two NBA Players, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, smiling and enjoying fashion week. Now, when you look at the photo, you see the beginning of what could be a championship collective.

“I’m a basketball fan but in the offseason I wasn’t neccessarily thinking about where he would go. So at the time when I took the photo of Westbrook and Carmelo, I didn’t really think of it too much as a premonition to whats going to happen, you know. I just looked at it like two friends talking to each other. So it was shocking, honestly. When I found the news and it wasn’t until like a hour or two after i found the news. That I realized I had…I was like wait. And I  looked through my photos, I’m like wow, I have a shot of them from last week. It didn’t click right away.”

Now, Knicks fans look forward to the start of the Kristaps Porzingis Era and the youth movement at the garden.

“From Latvia, number 6, Kristaps Porzingis.”

Rovin, a season ticket holder for the New York Knicks, is excited for the future and what Kristaps Porzingis can bring to Madison Square Garden.

“Kristaps Porzingis is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to the New York Knicks since they drafted Patrick Ewing all the way back in ’85 with the very first number one lottery pick.”

Carmelo Anthony will face his old team this Thursday, October 19th on TNT. As far one thing, photos live forever. Shout out to Josh! Feel free to follow Josh on instagram @Josh.Sobel. And that’s all we have for today ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for tuning in to the Anthony Aiken Jr podcast.