Month: October 2017

For many aspiring college students in the United States, there are two options: go to a public school or slowly drown in debt. TAP, one of the few state aids given to public colleges, grants students a significant amount of money for college tuition at the beginning of the semester in order to help them obtain a college degree. According to statistics, nearly two-thirds of college students run out of money before the end of the semester, not to mention that 49.5 percent of them agreed that the root of this problem is not just that they are not receiving enough financial aid; it’s that the bureaucracy of it all is crippling them.

Most students, although residents of New York City, are dependent of their parent’s residency. Because TAP its state, and not federal, a majority of students are unable to file as independents because they do not fulfill the requirements.

Ashley Candelario, a Baruch student and NYC resident, satisfies the TAP requirements. However, because her mother does not reside in New York City, TAP it’s currently not covering her classes. “I am not being taken care of financially by my mother, kind of on my own here,” she explained, “but filing as an independent I am pretty sure TAP doesn’t allow you to do that unless you are an orphan, married with a child, or if you are a veteran, or if you are like at least 24 years old, and I meet none of those qualifications.”

TAP is only one of the many branches of state aid, but it is not the only one with a catch when it comes to money. A most recent example of this is the Excelsior scholarship which although it offers free tuition for students whose parents make 100,000 dollars a year, it chains you to New York City after college. Ashley expressed her concern regarding Excelsior, and explained that “The scholarship is under TAP a lot of people qualify for Excelsior but my eligibility depends on my mother’s residency, not mine.”

TAP it’s also full of limitations once you are under its help. As a college student, choosing two or more majors heightens your chances to succeed, but it deprives you of financial help. Ashley, although scared and now no longer receiving financial help, felt relieved that now she was finally free to “double major in peace.”  

Although there is an incredible amount of TAP rules and limitations, these are not taught to students. Because TAP is a convoluted process, it is inaccurate and too general to check the individual eligibility. Not to mention, there is a scarce amount of TAP or aid professionals in colleges, which hardens students’ experiences.

Shelly Ho, a college senior, voiced her concerns regarding the lack of information she received through college regarding financial aid, “I definitely feel like the rules behind financial aid could be better explained to me. Nobody ever sat me down and said: okay, here is your tuition, and how much you are getting, and how much you have to pay.”

Students seem to be either under the illusion of freedom or in a constant battle against contracts that fool them into believing they are given an option regarding state aid. However, their efforts are constantly dismissed and they lack the proper information in order to reach a solution.

In this time and age college is a necessity, anyone who does not have a college degree it’s 71% more likely to be unemployed, not to mention we’ve gained jobs in skilled fields, which require their employees to have, at least, two years of college education. College aid is under reform and will, hopefully, reach a point where the regulations become collectively beneficial.

Over 65 million people Around the world have been forced out of their homes to escape war, famine and climate change. The largest displacement since WW2. The Public Art Fund partnered with Ai Weiwei to take over New York City with art installation in all 5 boroughs to bring awareness to this devastation. Dollar and Sense Glenn Manacker has the story.

This is Glenn Manacker reporting from Washington Square park awaiting the arrival of Ai Weiwei who has taken over New York City with his exhibit Good Fences make Good neighbors. With the support from the Public Art Fund who this year is celebrating their 40th anniversary with WeiWei art pieces, which will be in New York City From October 12 to February 11th 2017.

Weiwei will be here to promote his new movie, Human Flow, a documentary about global refugee and migrant crisis. Standing in front of the sculpture I’m here with Rosanna Roberts asking her how she feels about the installation.

“I think to promote like a sense of awareness and remind us that there is a lot going on in the background right now.”

Another pounder of the massive structure Robert Latchet, a private investment owner in New York City gives his opinion.

“I think it’s really interesting especially what I know about the artist and his version of using art as protest and sort of social conversation,”

“Also that he’s like there is an homage to Dadaism and Marcel Duchamp in this one and to men in like an area that’s in quite close proximity to the gay village, I mean or what was once the gay village, is interesting to combined I mean it’s interesting to combined all these hot button issues and to provide a point of awareness and I mean I think New York in general is a city that is very supportive and open of all of these issues, but just to have that constant reminder I think is important,”

Coming onto the stage to introduce Weiwei, is Director and chief curator of the Public Art Fund Nicholas Baume.

“Welcome to the launch of Good Fences Make good Neighbors.”

“It responses to: architecture, to landscape, to monuments, to transportation, infrastructure, to advertising platforms embracing all of them so that the work can literally grow out of the city and all of the works return to the theme of the fence, which is elaborated in very different ways it’s inspired by his response to the political and social impulse to divide people from each other.”

“Washington square is a very special place I think here the spirits of activism of creativity of diversity and free expression is absolute essential New York City, is a place that was built by immigrants this is who we are this monument the arch represents democracy and freedom it also a symbolic door way to the city, Weiwei, arch shows us that that freedom is something we can’t take for granted that a doorway can also be untrusted, but then Weiwei, cuts a passages through the center in the silhouette of two united figures this is an empowering message for all of us.”

Weiwei enters the stage with no umbrella in hand, personal assistants run to the stage to hand him an umbrella, but he politely declines, as he is about to speak technical difficulty arises, the microphone turns off, but this doesn’t deter him.

“Thank you so much for standing in the rain, this is New York City, we have to show our power, thank you and I encourage you to go and see the film Human Flow Thank you said, Weiwei.

We are in a critical time in the world and it is important not to forget those who are in need we must stand together and help one another as humanitarians, Weiwei is a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves he isn’t afraid to stand up, protest and start social conversation about serious issues.

This is Glenn Manacker reporting for Dollars and Sense.

A devastating earthquake hit Mexico City a couple of weeks ago. On September 19, 1985, an 8.1 earthquake struck Mexico City around seven in the morning. Exactly 32 years later on September 19th, a 7.1 earthquake struck 100 miles away from the City of Mexico, near Puebla.

Credit: NBC News

I am here in Yonkers, with a family who went to visit Mexico for a couple of days due to a loss of a family member. Martha Sandoval, sits in front of me playing with a piece napkin and folding her hands, as she tells us her horrific experience during the earthquake.

She tells us in Spanish, “Cuando estábamos adrento de la oficina, hablando con la secretaria, la secretaria de pronto empezó a decir que estaba temblando, que saliéramos a fuera y que vaháramos porque estábamos en el segundo piso, que vaháramos para abajo, corriendo, todo el mundo corío para querer bajar por la escalera, estaba bien apretada de gente que no se podía bajar ni detenerse.”

Which translates to, “We were inside a government office talking to the secretary and then all of a sudden, she started telling us, its shaking. She said to go outside and start going down the stairs, since we were on the second floor. We started running downstairs, everyone just started running down the stairs. It was so tight that people couldn’t hold onto the railing and down the stairs.”

Hector Sandoval, a family relative who resides in Cholula, Puebla, has left them in Cholula and agreed to pick them up after he picked up his nieces from school. By the time he arrived to the school, he saw the glass exploding and kids screaming and crying due to the loud explosion of windows.

Meanwhile, in Puebla, Giuliana Amaya, has a different experience. She said, “Puebla has a lot of churches there and they were saying how, part of the churches had fallen down. You know, they were giving us the update, and of course all the lights went out, no water, no electricity, no phone service, so it was more panic because we couldn’t get in touch with our family members and let them know we were ok.”

In Cholula, Puebla, the plaza has many vendors outside posted for people to shop and eat. Before the earthquake hit, many families were enjoying a sunny afternoon, but then as the trees started to move, people started to help everyone get to safety.

Credit: Tania Rendon

Emily Sandoval, describes the actions of people around her during the earthquake, “In her store, there was like a top, and she was underneath it, and this lady came out of nowhere and she was like ‘oh come’ so that way, just in case it falls off, she was there trying to get everyone into safety in a way, she told us not to go under the tree and told lady to get out. I remember this one guy running by to see if his family was ok, but everyone just like in a panic.”

Mexico City felt the earthquakes full potential. In Puebla, parts of churches were on the ground, windows exploded and many people felt the ground moving, while others didn’t feel it as much.

“I thought it was a passing train or a loud truck when everything was happening so, that’s what I thought at first, but then I looked around and everyone was going crazy and what not, and I was like, what, what is going, and my parents told me there’s an earthquake. And I was like what! I was just in a state of shock. It took a big toll on me because I never experienced that,” said Christopher Sandoval.

The current death toll in Mexico is 369 and the damages caused by the two most recent earthquakes can cost Mexico two billion dollars in repairs.

“At the end of the day, if something hits you, you gotta come back stronger, you always gotta remember that,” said Christopher as he hopes that Mexico can rebuilt itself again.

 

 

I’m standing in front of Saks fifth avenue located at the Bay Plaza Shopping Center in The Bronx. Last year this used to be the location of a Barnes and Noble. In January 2017 The Bronx’s only major bookstore, Barnes and Noble shut down. After the shutdown nearly 1.4 million people in the Bronx lost the only bookstore in the area. Although one Bronx resident is striving to open an independent bookstore, called The Lit Bar, in the borough.

https://soundcloud.com/nicholas-marrero-833196051/the-lit-bar

Noëlle Santos, a Bronx native and resident is the owner of The Lit Bar, a bookstore featuring local indie authors, a wine bar and a community center. The name has a double meaning.

“So it’s Lit like literature. And it’s also a play on the using of the word Lit that’s associated with drinking and having fun and partying. You know being Lit”, Santos says.

The Lit Bar will not only operate as a bookstore but as a center for residents of the community. It’ll be the only bookstore in the Bronx. Noelle hope this inspires others to open bookstores in the area.

As Noelle describes, “So we’re going to sell books, we’ll have wine, it’ll have events. Like I want it to be a living room for the community. So we’re going to stock women’s interest. You know, it’ll be a general interest bookstore. We’re going to specialize in women’s interest and local interests. Whether or not that might be at the time”. She continued, “I really want it to be a community space. I want events happening every day. I want to build relationships with other schools and support them however we can”.

Noelle aims to differentiate the Lit Bar from chain bookstores by giving a voice and platform to independent and underground artists. For Harlem resident and independent writer Alexis Garcia, this is an opportunity to showcase her work.

“As someone who is fond of wine and writing I would to have my work showcased at The Lit Bar. Having my work showcased there would not only mean exposure of my work to others but exposure of others work to me. She continued, “I also believe that it’s important for a community to experience this type of creativity. As a young Hispanic woman I would love to be a part of a platform where there are others like myself. Showing people that it’s okay to follow your dreams and let your voice be heard”. 

Noelle’s fundraising campaign on Indiegogo called “Let’s Bring a Goddamn Bookstore to The Bronx”, raised over $150,000. The campaign’s success means The Lit Bar is one step closer to finding it’s home in The Bronx. Santos says there’s still work to be done and issues such as Real Estate have been an obstacle in her goal. Although this does not stop members of The Bronx community such as Brittany Holmes from looking forward from what’s to come with the lit bar.

“To have a place that represents our creativity and that helps nurtures the creativity of the people in The Bronx, I’m really happy about that. And I just can’t wait to see where it’s going to go. How many people are gonna benefit from having the support that they want like this for their talents”, states Brittany. “Having a place that brings so many people together it’s always the best thing to have in a community especially when it’s such a positive way of gathering people together. Like having this bookstore that has multi-different purposes. So I actually can’t wait for it to open so I can go there myself and be able to support my own community in that way”.

Noelle is currently in negotiations and working towards a lease and construction details. She is currently planning to open in January 2018.

Recently, Apple had their Annual Keynote where they announced all the new products that the company is planning to launch and the new update that is most likely on everybody’s devices as we speak. What is interesting is that Apple announced two phones, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X.  Now to many users the iPhone 8 doesn’t seem to be as hyped because it is like all the same iPhones and it is potentially a fluke if you buy it.  But it turns out there are some differences that separate it from the other iPhones.  Here is Fabrizio Salerno with the story.

Ahh, Lets get right into it, even if they are in the market for like an iPhone, the iPhone 10 is coming out so soon.  Why is Apple even putting this phone out, what kind of a cash grab is this okay fine it has wireless charging you’ve been asking for that for a while.  But is that really enough everyone wants a new thing something shiny come on.

It is a busy Friday afternoon as many associates aregoing around the store and trying to help as many bodies as possible.  Also they are answering questions about any new devices including the
iPhone 8.   It is definitely an exiting time at the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington New York to speak to many associates one including Ajay Mahmood who can potentially help us learn about the new iPhone 8.

“We have a lot of traffic now at the
store but regardless of the amount of people that are in the store it is our busiest time of the year.  It is the first time since the launch of the iPhone that we had had the highest customer rating”.  (Customer review of the experience).

As Many Consumers are coming into the store and playing with the devices notice that each phone doesn’t have that much physical differences, but as many associates came over and explained that the differences aren’t too much physically but are mainly internally.

“For Me basically everything has changed.  Now we are introducing something that is awesome and that is wireless charging.  We also have something which is a processor that is better than previous.  The A-11 Bionic chip which makes it much faster and does the job good”.

As Apple releases products each and every year, many consumers wonder why Apple does use Social Media for Surveys or ask real life consumers what they can improve upon the products each year.  Sophia Interlicchio is a huge iPhone user and wants Apple use suggestions to improve on the phone.

“I find that Apple is far more behind than other smartphone competitors and truly think that they can’t catch up.  However the major thing to note is that Apple beats the competition with its customer loyalty.  Unless Apple messes up with the next few iPhone releases, their Customers however may be annoyed with some features will stay”.

As Ajay works his shift at the Apple Store, he notices that many customers come up to him and ask about the iPhone and what they can do to enhance their experience with an iPhone.  He enjoys receiving these questions because it makes the work experience more fun throughout a long shift.

“One question i get a lot are when are the new products being released.  But most of the time customers are more interesting in how the products are useful so our daily routine is to make that first impression on that customer. How important and useful not for the features but how beneficial instead”.

With these ever so slight differences to the iPhone 8, the average consumer should wonder will it be worth upgrading my phone or should i leave it the way it is? Who knows only time and expertise will tell these slight differences will change the way we use our phone.  Did Apple Crush it or drop the ball with this one and release it just as a money grab? Who knows time will only tell.  From the Apple St0re, Fabrizio Salerno Baruch News.

 

In the last couple of weeks, President Trump’s tweets have been taken as an open declaration of war by North Korea. With North Korea continuing to openly test nuclear weapons and missiles, tensions between the U.S. and North Korea escalate and concerns about war, discrimination, and division are growing in the South Korean population in New York City.

Serving the Korean Christian community in Queens is the First United Methodist Church in Flushing. It has three floors, a gymnasium, and multiple classrooms for Saturday school. Korean immigrants and second generation Koreans from pre-K to high school attend every weekend.

With eyes on the community, the pastors working here are closely attuned to tensions in the atmosphere, especially as America seems to be heading closer and closer to war with North Korea. But Korean immigrants, far from their South Korean origins, take sides: peace, or war? It’s a stance that might segregate the community instead of bringing them together

According to Pastor Daniel Cho, or Pastor Danny as he is sometimes called, there is a divide among the Korean population on the topic of North Korea. “Liberals tend to be more supportive of the North Korean peace talks. The traditional conservatives are more about ‘No, they’ll never change. Communistic society, we’ve seen it.'”

The older, traditional conservatives imagine a land battle, like the Korean War, and they’ve seen the effects of Communism while younger generation holds onto an idealistic future. But that only takes into account first generation Korean-Americans, those that were born in South Korea and immigrated to the U.S.

Second generation Korean-Americans have a different view, too, as Pastor Yo Rhie has seen. “The Korean-American kids, more like second generation immigrants, have some kind of Americanized political view in this that North Korea is an enemy and the threat is real,” says Rhie, “and so, there is a division.”

Pastor Yo Rhie works with middle school and high school students. Her students keep track of the news and discuss current events with their parents. Yet, it seems that these students, born and raised in America, are more planted in the American life than their country of origin.

“If they think America is their home and their family lives there,” she says, “then just like South Korea, whether they should evacuate or not—that’s kinda like how people outside Korea view the situation. So I don’t think they will say ‘Oh, my family is there, we need to bring them to this land of safety.'”

A block away from the church is the Seo family. They’re a first and second generation Korean-American family. Brian Seo, a 16 year-old high school student, lives with his parents and elder sister in the U.S. He has never been to South Korea but almost all of his extended family lives there.

Brian laughs when he considers war with North Korea. “If war really breaks out, then I think that it’s no bueno. I feel more strongly towards my Korean roots than my American roots, but it’s because I’m not in Korea myself; I don’t know how it feels. I’m kind of like, detached to Korean?”

His mother, Soonae Seo, came to the U.S. in 2000 with her husband and three year old daughter. She grew up under the shadow of the Korean War and reflects a sentiment that is common in most South Koreans. Her daughter, Wonyoung, translates.

“In the beginning,” Soonae recalls, “the apprehension of the constant possibility of the war resuming has always been there since I was little. The people living in South Korea have grown desensitized because that apprehension has been there for so long.”

Regardless of the varying sentiment towards North Korea, an attempt for peace is still the first option. In November, the UMC will be hosting a Seminar Forum for Peace in the Korean Peninsula, which many of the pastors in Flushing’s United Methodist Church will be attending. This forum will be located in the United Methodist Building in Washington D.C. It will be a chance for the community to voice their opinions to congressional leaders.

As Pastor Noah Choi puts it, “It’d be nice if President Trump and Kim Jong-Un could talk it out peacefully. But in the event that that’s not possible, raising our voices together as loudly as possible, ‘Peace, peace,” couldn’t that method stop something like war from happening?”

Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three. Come with me. And you’ll be. In a world of Pure imagination.

In a dark time, it’s nice to know there’s a place that, to quote Willy Wonka, is full of pure imagination. That would be a candy store called Lolli and Pops. The company was founded in 2012. It’s an up and coming chain based out of San Francisco. Recently, they made the move to the East coast, opening stores in Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and now New Jersey. I had a chance to visit Lolli and Pops, a store at the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey that is not like the rest. Simona Kazinets visits Lolli and Pops, a store at the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey that is not like the rest.

From a distance you can tell that one store is not like the rest. Lolli and Pops has a vintage color scheme and style to it from the outside of the store to the uniform of its employees. From the moment you step in it feels like you have just walked into the Disney World of candy. There is a treat at every corner you turn to, and in the middle of it all is a giant Golden teddy bear. I had a chance to talk to Sydney Driscoll, 20, a sales associate, but here they call them magic makers.

The range of candies that the store has to offer is beyond compare. Driscoll says, “A lot of the treats are from around the world. We get candy from europe, mexico, asia and then we get vintage candy, that’s classy candy, there is something for everyone we try to go with.”

Lolli and Pops carries not just common brands of candy but also their own, distinctive creations. As Driscoll describes, “All the alcohol infused gummy bears are Lolli and pops brand, we have our line of chocolate bars and then we also have our specialty bars which are topped bars that have candy or potato chips or almonds, and sea salt on top of it or sprinkles.”

The place gives off positive vibes. Customers walking in are greeted with every color of the rainbow. The staff greet them with a smile and a treat, and who doesn’t love free candy. I asked Tatiana, a customer in the store, if she could describe the store in three words what would they be, she said “funny attractive, and colorful.”

Besides the fun side of it all, this place is still a business. However, with recent times it seems they have been able success against their competition. As Driscoll recalled, “I mean at first there was another candy store here that was open. That was open since I was young, and I’m 20 years old so”. She continued, “That was open for a long time but they closed down in January and they were going under before we even came to the mall. So I think that was our only competition really because he sold cheaper candy but at the same time that candy was not like our candy.”

As Driscoll continued to recall what the mall used to be like, nothing like Lolli and Pops comes to mind. The difference of how the store looks is part of what draws people in. As she said, “Because it’s so bright and colorful and it’s not like anything else in this mall. I’ve lived in this town my whole life and I’ve been going to this mall since I was like 8 months old, and we, I have never seen anything like this store here.”

 

As I continue to circle around the giant gummy bear there is something stuck in the back of mind that keeps telling me to take my phone out and put this place on Instagram. With over 13,000 photos under the #LolliandPops I was not the only one with this idea. Sometimes the employees even get in the fun as Driscoll describes, “We have so many people coming in, like I had somebody take a picture I had people take pictures of me, when I have full uniform on.”

One of the biggest attractions seems to be the Golden teddy bear, as she said, “People ask me to take pictures of them with the giant gold gummy bear, they take pictures of their little macaron and truffle boxes, so definitely instagramable. I’ve even instagrammed and I’m like ‘hey this is my work, this is research for work” and everyone is then like ‘that’s so cute’.”

Every customer brings a different reaction when they walk through the door, Driscoll said, “I had a woman last week dancing because she like, ‘I love this store so much, oh my gosh, its wonderful’’. And then people are like ‘oh my gosh no way’, and I’m like ‘way’ we have these we have that they’re like ‘oh my gosh’, and I’m like ‘I know’.”

Being located in one of the busiest malls around New Jersey, which includes a movie theater, there are benefits as Driscoll describes, “We get a lot of business from the movie theater cause people want snacks for the movies and I’m going to be honest its very easy to get candy in that movie theater, so it’s just a good fit.”

Lolli and Pop is a place where people seem to go and escape the unpleasantness of reality. It’s those ten minutes where people get to fill up their jars, try some funky flavors, and forget about everything else. With 38 stores around the United States, there is only room to grow.

 

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Every Saturday morning in Central Park On 76th Street, the Conservatory Water hosts the park’s Model Yacht Club. A handful of skippers, all different ages, race their sailboats around buoys bobbing in the water, exchange stories with one another and enjoy the serenity Central Park has to offer. We sent landlubber Benjamin Long out to report on this nautical tradition.

It’s a cold Saturday in late September, and the signs of Fall are showing. The leaves hang in hues of auburn and gold, collecting in clumps under park benches and floating aimlessly atop the Conservatory Water in Central Park. Joggers in neon clothing amble around the pond that is not only dotted with leaves, but the white sails of model boats that shimmer on the water.

The Central Park Model Yacht Club celebrated its centenary anniversary last year but active member numbers are declining. Roy Langbord, who’s been with the club for 40 years, has seen all the changes first-hand.

“The number of active participants has gone down,” Langbord says. “If you look in here, it’s about fifty to sixty boats, and you’d like to have all these boats out there on the water one day.”

It’s easy to join the club, provided you’ve got your own sailboat. The ones the club race on Saturdays are classified as the International One Metre, or IOM for short. This boat, not surprisingly, measures a metre long and casts a striking image on the serene Conservatory Water. The price of the IOM, though, makes something of a splash.

“A radio-controlled sailboat, as a kit with its own radio, is $180 to $200,” begins Langbord. “On the other hand, something like this world-championship calibre boat – completely built for you – somewhere between $3 to 4,000.”

That price tag didn’t put off twelve year-old Charles DeMarco, who proudly labels himself the youngest member of the club. Charles sails with his father, Chris, and has been at the club for two years, splitting his time between school, soccer and sailing.

“We just came here one day to rent a boat, and we saw this is really fun,” starts DeMarco. “It’s been two years since we got that boat and I like it because it’s relaxing and really fun and competitive.”

Members are invited to store their boats in the boathouse during the sailing season, with a $20 permit. The boathouse, located adjacent to the water, is adorned with photos illustrating the history of the club and the many changes that the sailboat designs have gone through. John Tucker has been with the club for decades, and runs a tight ship as club commodore.

“Years ago we had an entire fleet of females – wives, girlfriends and they didn’t like sailing with the boys,” says Tucker. “One time we had a big event, we had twelve females in the water and I locked the door and left all the men inside so the ladies could enjoy themselves.”

The club itself doesn’t have an initiative to attract new and perhaps, more importantly, younger members. Langbord believes that the younger generation simply don’t have the patience needed to sail and are distracted by other forms of immediate entertainment.

“Sailboat racing tends to attract older kids and adults because there’s no throttle stick, there’s no gas pedal,” says Langbord. “We do have kids involved but it’s much harder in today’s world.”

Although not motoring across the water, the sailboats do catch a lot of attention from passers-by. Young families stop and watch the vessels drift through the pond, pointing as the boats catch sudden gusts of wind that swirl in this natural hollow in Central Park. And for Charles, he wished more people his age knew about what he did every Saturday morning.

“Me and my dad are thinking of making an after-school to bring some kids here who are interested in doing it,” states DeMarco. “They should just rent a boat maybe for an hour or so and just try it out.”

With the sailing season set to wrap up in November, the model yacht club will he hoping the same faces, as well as some new ones, reappear in the Spring.

Reminder: Your final due date for the radio piece is Monday, October 16, by class time. Please post the final mixed version on the blog, with a headline/title, accompanied by at least one photo and a modified version of the script for the web.

Start thinking about a pitch for your two-episode scripted podcast series, which we will be workshopping on Monday, October 23. We’ll discuss those assignments in greater detail next Wednesday.

Today is in-class production on your stories. I’m here to take a look at new script drafts, help with sound mixing, coach you through recording narration, etc.

Recording Narration: A Tutorial

Studio

For a good quality audio recording, I highly recommend taking advantage of the new studio we have in room 174 off the Dollars and Sense suite. If for some reason it is unavailable to you, you can improvise a recording studio by covering the walls of your closet with blankets or towels, or simply pulling a blanket over your head. It sounds silly, but it works in a pinch.

The important thing is to be in an environment that absorbs sound. The absolute worst place you could go to record your narration would be something like an empty stairwell, full of echoes and hard surfaces.

Microphone

Use a Zoom!

Remember that generally, you’re going to want to hold the mic 1-2 feet from your mouth while you’re recording. Too close and your breath will create a popping sound; too far and we won’t be able to hear you.

Script

Here’s where we get into the art of it all. You may be reading from a script, but you don’t want to sound like you’re reading. Good audio is conversational. Pretend you’re telling a friend about this really interesting thing that just happened to you. Speak clearly but don’t over-enunciate, either.

Trends in narration: A lot of people on the radio these days seem to be doing a straight-up imitation of Ira Glass.

NPR Voice

It helps to print out your script or read it from your phone; this serves two purposes. First, you can hold it up in front of you so you don’t have to hunch over a screen, which will make your voice sound weaker. Second, sometimes having serious electronics too close to your mic can create feedback and ruin your recording.

Voice

Stand up straight and speak from your stomach, not your throat. Bear in mind that your voice will sound better if you’re hydrated, and phlegmy if you’ve just had dairy products. Professional radio reporters and hosts will sometimes do tongue twisters and literally stretch their jaws before recording. Again, it sounds silly and looks silly, but it makes a difference.

Headphones

Use them! Without them, you can’t monitor your levels. You don’t want to spend twenty minutes creating the perfect narration only to realize the mic was unplugged the whole time.

Reminders:

Scripts for the 4-5 minute radio feature are due this Wednesday, October 4. Your final edited radio story, along with accompanying photos and web version, will be due on Monday, October 16.

We will NOT have class as usual on Wednesday. Instead, I will be meeting with you all individually to go through your scripts and give them an edit. Sign up for time slots here. If none of those time slots work for you, let me know when you’re available and we can schedule an edit session over the phone.

In class next week, we’ll have an in-class production day when you can work on mixing your projects. I will be giving a refresher/tutorial on recording narration at the beginning, and will open the recording room opposite the Dollars and Sense Suite for those who are ready to track their stories.

Workshop:

Together we’ll look at your script-writing exercises to discuss what works and what doesn’t.