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Ambi: Pill being counted and stored in pill bottles.

Host Intro: Consolidation of the healthcare industry has become a major sticking point in the national healthcare debate leading up to the 2020 Presidential election. Wholesale mergers between healthcare insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (or PBMs) dominated healthcare news in 2018 and 2019, promising patients lowered costs and an end to the complicated drug supply chain. With prescription drug pricing under scrutiny from regulators and voters alike, the conversation has intensified, hoping these major conglomerates stand by their word. But how do these mergers really affect patients and their local pharmacies to boot? Vlad Silver has the story.

Track: I’m sitting in Forever Coffee Bar near Bennett Ave and 181 Street looking at the entrance to CityDrug and Surgical, one of the lone local pharmacies in Washington Heights amid a sea of chain drug stores. The mood is peaceful in the coffee bar, a stark contrast to the constant bustle of patients and staff in the store across. There, pharmacist Alex Kronis shares his concern for the state of his business in the face of these mergers.

Act:  It’s crazy that PBM’s and the biggest chain drug stores can merge. What’s next, that they can own the manufacturers? That’s one thing they don’t need because that they can outsource. That’s too much of a problem. But if they buy a few manufacturers that’s it, they can buy a couple of generic companies and that would be it.

Track: Besides Alex stands Eugene Paus, a pharmacy technician and first-hand witness of the effects Big Pharma can have on local pharmacies.

Act: Small business will be out of business before they come up with a plan of action against Big Pharma. One couldn’t point a finger and say that CVS took all my business, but they did. They have made it harder for small business owners to fill prescriptions because they own certain PBMs by making reimbursements so they that we are forced out of business. There’s not much we can do.

Track: CityDrugs patrons echo these concerns, including Alan Sidransky, local writer and activist who questions the merits of the system from the ground up.

Act: Our medical system is a disaster. This is a nightmare. There is no way we should be the most advanced country in the world and still be dealing with this. The problem is that people are used to this. This system flat out does not work. This is a nonsensical system that is based on profit and profit only. It turns a blind eye to reasonable things that must be done to change the system.

Track: Mr. Kronis goes on to criticize the system further and suggests insurance companies prey upon the public.

Act: Generally, unless you work in this field, the population has no idea what’s going on, and on some levels its quite complicated. The way its all linked together is simple and its complicated; the mechanics are complicated; the idea is simple.

Track: Eugene counters with a wholesale overhaul, suggesting what the system needs is radical change, from top to bottom.

Act: If you got rid of PBM and insurance, healthcare would become as cheap as modern boxed food, where ramen noodles cost 99 cents. You’ll be buying your blood pressure for 99 cents a bottle, not $100 for a month’s supply. Just get rid of insurance and PBMs all together and your problem is completely solved. The drug companies will be forced to lower the cost of their drugs, otherwise no one would buy what they’re selling.

Track: This is Vlad Silver, from Baruch College, signing off.

In class today:

Screenings of your radio stories and discussion.

Upcoming dates:

Monday, October 28: Pitches due on the class blog by class time for your final narrative podcast episodes.

Assignment: Produce two episodes of a scripted, narrative, documentary-style podcast series. (This means it will NOT follow a host interview format like the first assignment did.) Each episode should be  10-15 minutes long.

This podcast assignment differs from your radio story not only in terms of length but also in terms of style. You’ll have a little more creative freedom with this one. It’s journalistic, so you’ll need to abide by the usual journalistic ethics in terms of using actual natural sound rather than sound effects; however, you are welcome to use music to score it and create a little drama. There should be an intro and outro, similar to your first assignment.

Remember that the two episodes should fit within the scope of the podcast as you decide to frame it. You are welcome to do something hard-hitting: past podcasts in this class have included a series of episodes about Venezuelans living in exile in New York, or about homeless transgender teenagers. You are also welcome to do something character-driven and off-beat, like a series of episodes about various NYC subcultures.

Example of this kind of podcast episode from a previous class: New York City Underground.

 

 

Host Intro: Gentrification in Brooklyn marches on, and the adjacent neighborhoods of Flatbush and Crown Heights are two of the latest to feel its effects. Longtime residents see the arrival of coffee shops, bars, doggy day cares, and hookah lounges as warning signs that they may soon be priced out. Although these places might be a nice touch to the neighbourhood, residents fear for their future in these places. Reporter Quain George has the story.

—

Vehicles driving by.

I’m on Schenectady Ave, Utica, Crown Heights. The area itself has a huge West Indian demographic. To my left there is a supermarket and a Korean vegetable market. Tenant complains that their rents are rising, the cost of food is rising, and a lot of the cheap places are closing down, like Os Grill, which was known for their Jamaican American dish rasta pasta. “Crown Heights native Kareem Thomas says it’s becoming impossible for anyone below a certain income to stay in the area.

 

Thomas says: “Well I was gonna say it affects all black people, but really it’s a wealth gap. Which blacks are kind of in the middle, sometimes we are doing just good enough, but we are never at the point where we can just go spend thousands on a place. Its’s really affecting people that don’t make 40 grand a year.”

Mr. Thomas himself has been affected by gentrification while moving out on his own. Ideally he wanted an apartment for himself, but after seeing the prices for apartments right now he took another route.

Mr. Thomas says: “Well I moved out and I’m leaving with roommates, you think that was my first choice? Hell no. I looked on Nooklyn which is real estate place that especially for Brooklyn, and the apartments were 1,500 which is double what I’m paying for rent right now. I could not afford, I had the money but, would it be a smart investment? No.

Vehicles passing by.

Im on Flatbush Ave between ave D and Ditmas, to my left there is Paw House which is a pet grooming company on that same block is where Nikiesha Hamilton live, grew up in Crown Heights but moved to Flatbush. She thinks that if these areas doesn’t get the proper support they might be displaced.

Mrs Hamilton says: If a certain community of a certain type of people doesn’t not have proper support for their living situation in the community they are going to be displaced.

Although Flatbush Avenue is very Caribbean and West Indian area, Mrs Hamilton still notices the changes.

Mrs Hamilton says: Flatbush is very Caribbean, when I come to Flatbush I barely see people outside the Caribbean culture or the Caribbean diaspora. I do slowly see gentrification happening, when you walk down certain streets you say “ OH, there is a Italian restaurant over there.”

Even though Mrs Hamilton had a lot to say how gentrification will negatively affect the people, she also acknowledged some positive aspects of it.

Mrs Hamilton says: I’m very adamant about protection for poor people, but I like that we get more attention to clean our streets and I like that I feel safer.

These are the challenges Crown Heights and Flatbush residents is facing while gentrification is among them, although it has it’s negative impacts, there are also some positives one, but is it worth it?

 

For Baruch College, this is Quain George, Brooklyn, New York

Social media has become a hub for people to share not only selfies and photos from cool vacations but also a community in which talent such as singing, dancing or makeup artistry are celebrated. Viral makeup artists James Charles and Patrick Starrr are examples of ordinary people who were able to create a name for themselves through social media. Their success has caught the attention of young teenagers who seek to create a name for themselves.

16-year-old high school student Alex Ferrer is one of many teenagers who became inspired by Youtubers like Patrick Starrr and Nikkie de Jager of Nikkie Tutorials. He began posting his makeup looks and tutorials on social media when he was twelve.

“let me just do makeup I don’t care what anybody is going to say it’ll work out and I just got brave and I uploaded my first video.”

Alex began his makeup journey by becoming interested in special effects makeup. He was then introduced to drag queens and would always wonder how they were able to create beautiful makeup looks on themselves. This thought led him to go through his mom’s makeup and give it a try.

“I was feeling myself okay, I was like wow this is what I want to do now, never mind let me do this and it was at a point that I was serious about it. I was like I think I really want to do this as a career.”

Alex’s bedroom is your typical teenage room. With a huge mirror hung on the wall and a shelf used as a home for Various hair products as well as his favorite facial sprays and brushes. Alex sees these platforms as not only a way to build a career path, but also as something that’s good for his mental health.

“I was letting everything out because at this time nobody knew, just maybe my sister and we swore we wouldn’t say anything and yeah it was kind of like therapy and I remember being so happy that day and I felt good about it. If I did that every day, it would make me happy.”

20-year-old makeup and social media influencer James Charles gained viral success after his senior photos blew up on twitter showing off his perfect makeup and glistening highlighter. It’s hard not to feel envious, Alex says “I crave becoming viral sometimes… because I see these people on YouTube, they post videos and off one video they get like millions of views and their career is made. they get money off one single video”

Alex dreams of pursuing a makeup career and is counting on his YouTube and Instagram pages becoming successful.

Alex’s parents were bewildered upon discovering his passion for makeup. Though it seemed very unusual to them, they showed him nothing but support and love.

“He’s a very good makeup artist, when it comes to posting his techniques, his talent in makeup, I honestly see it in a positive way, that’s one of the positive ways I see social media. it will give him chance to advertise his work for people to get to know him, people will start seeing his work on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, another social media and say wow that guy has got some talent wow what a beautiful makeup.”

Still, Alexandra worries that there could be a negative side to social media success. “Many people when one of their work becomes viral and they’re making money because of their views, okay you’re making the money, but you need a career. you need actual knowledge. I believe that this kind of work if it does become viral okay its very good but on a part time basis, not as a full-time career.”

Internet trolls and those who seek to cause harm to others are another concern. “I get scared of people out there who will post negative comments on his work on his attitude on himself in general just because he works very hard for this and it hurts me as a mom to hear negative comments about his work.”

As he sits and scrolls through his Instagram posts with a wide smile, you can tell that Alex is excited about the future and where his passion for makeup can take him with the help of his social media.

“I see a big future, to be honest, because everybody in this generation is just progressing their career through marketing and YouTube. They post everything and people get money off of it which is something that I want to do so I really see something, I think something is going to happen in the future if I keep consistently posting and keeping up with my social media.”

The creamy walls of Alex’s small room seem to glaze with a brightness of hope. Alex continues to scroll through his Instagram account admiring his work. He is ready for what the future holds. This is Ana Duran, for Baruch College in Queens, New York.

 

In America, the word socialism has a negative conation to it. Since the red scare and McCarthyism people were afraid to say that they were socialist. But things began to change with the Bernie sanders 2016 presidential campaign and eventually with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the midterm elections. Anchor Keenan Millinger is on the site at the Queens branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, the branch that helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Democratic Socialists of America meeting. The members are snapping and clapping. They are having a meeting about labor in America

Aaron Taube is a volunteer organizer at the queens Dsa and has his own ideas about the perception of socialism in America.

“ Is it bad? I’ve read interviews that actually among millennials socialism is polling higher than capitalism.  You know I guess there were generations of anti-communist propaganda, there was a red scare, there was Ronald Regan. There was a negative perception sorta partially colored by Stalinism, which wasn’t good; it was a perversion of socialism. And then part of it was pro-capitalism, anti collectivist propaganda.

According to Gallup’s measurements, in August 2018 for the first time in over the past decade Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than capitalism. Also according to Gallup’s polling, Americans aged 18 to 29 are more positive about socialism than capitalism. Older Americans have been consistently more positive about capitalism than socialism.

Dr. Mitchell Cohen, a political science professor at Baruch college has his own opinions on the changing perception of socialism in America.

“Well, I think we’re gone through several decades in which social and economic inequality has grown and grown and grown and grown and at a certain point, there’s going to be a response to that. It’s grown and grown and grown at the same time organizations and institutions that used to represent working people like unions have been damaged, done weaker, are weaker and weaker.  The Regan period basically led to an assault on unions. I find it very amusing to hear people talk about big labor as if it was a correspondent of big business, but big business has a lot of social and economic power, whereas the power and membership of unions declined greatly over many decades.”

Bernie Sanders And AOC political campaigns increased people’s interest in democratic socialism. The Dsa reported that their membership grew from 32,000 at the end of 2017 to 60,000 in 2019. Bernie Sanders and AOC’s polarization in the media had helped grow the popularity of democratic socialism

“Well, they put certain things back on the map.  If you take something like the idea of universal health care, call it Medicare for all, call it whatever you want. Virtually every western society has some version of that, we don’t.

Though Bernie Sander and AOC can be seen as near-perfect candidates, people still have their reservations. Dr. Cohen believes that they also have their flaws as political suitors

“I think they have their own problems. I tend to be quite sympathetic with them on domestic affairs, I think when it comes to foreign policy I find that they usually don’t know what they’re talking about. 

DSA Organizer Aaron Taube believes that their polarization is not necessarily a bad thing.

“I think every time you have someone who is saying things that haven’t been said in a while or haven’t been said before; they’re going to be polarizing. Gandhi was polarizing, Martin Luther King was polarizing. There’s a lot of people who accepted capitalist ideology and even working people who has taken the ruling class’ ideology and taken it as their own. And also there’s a lot of wealthy powerful people who are upset that they will not get to be all-powerful because Alexandria is challenging that power. On the other hand, there are people making murals of Alexandria, they send art to Alexandria. The people who love Alexandria: working people who see themselves in her, Latina women who see themselves in her adore her.

This is Keenan Millinger from Baruch college, Signing off

HOST INTRO: With New York City hosting a wide range of shelters and havens for victims of domestic abuse, Omega Phi Beta Sorority Inc. hosted its 8^th annual Ray of Hope walk protesting violence against women at Riverside Park in NYC. Alongside the sisters in NYC, sisters in Atlanta, Chicago, and LA all protested domestic violence in their respective cities. Here’s Konrad Szybisty with the story.

AMBI: *Crowd responding say her name to women killed in recent year* “Dana martin” “Say her name”, “Daranisha Duncan boyd” “Say her name”, “Jazeline ware” “Say her name”, “Ashanti Carmen” “Say her name”

TRACK: With the cold air breezing from the Hudson, men and women from all over New York huddled together and marched to combat violence with non-violence. Music, cheers, stories of past abuse, and even some warmup yoga were all a part of the Ray of Hope walk in NYC. A new member of the sorority and first-time protestor Tiara McNeil held high hopes for her first walk.

ACT: “My expectations was having a large crowd and mobilizing the community to come together to stand for what’s right, basically raising awareness”

TRACK: The Ray of Hope walkers all shared a common goal; to get together. Hugs, smiles, and laughter were abundant before, during, and after the walk; something Tiara was very satisfied to see.

ACT: “That’s actually something that brought my attention immediately, before I even became a sister. I’ve seen the sisterly bonding and how you don’t even have to be a sister to build a relationship with those and I have sisters that want to push me forward to be a better version of myself before I even became a sister”

AMBI: “There are movies waiting to be seen. There are people waiting to hear each and every one of our voices, so today we are walking again for those who have came before us, for each and every one of us today and for those who have yet to tell their stories”

TRACK: Protesting an issue is all well and good, but people aren’t satisfied just saying they dislike an issue, they want the problems to stop. In the 2018 annual report done by the New York City Domestic violence fatality review committee, from 2010-2017 women accounted for 76% of victims in intimate partner homicides. Tiara’s belief on preventing domestic violence is teaching children at a young age the taboo of assaulting your partner.

ACT: “So having someone speak in schools and starting out from young and how this is something we should fight for, this is you know something that is inappropriate you know? Stand up for yourself, I think it really hits home to start with the youth because quite frankly youth, that’s whats gonna change our generation.”

TRACK: For Baruch college, this is Konrad Szybisty signing off.

HOST INTRO: In recent weeks, the movement to combat climate change has made headlines around the world with major speeches addressing the topic at the United Nations General Assembly and protests by the Extinction Rebellion causing disruption in major cities from New York to London. One of the common denominators in this movement is that it is largely led by young people who have the most at stake. Here in New York, one conservation group is trying to empower the next generation to be the environmental leaders of tomorrow. Reporter Melissa Bacian has the story.

AMBI: (natural sound, “volunteer showing the kids marine life.”)

TRACK: On September 28^th, at Pier 40, TRP presented “SUBMERGE,” a marine science festival that provided hands-on activities and marine life, in hopes of educating young children in the importance of preserving the Hudson River.

TRACK: I’m here at Pier 40 on the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan with Lorraine Sanchez, a volunteer for the River Project. It’s an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the ecosystem of the Hudson River Estuary through scientific research and education programs. It’s a warm and windy day in late September and Sanchez is showing horseshoe crabs and other marine life to a group of wide-eyed kids.

AMBI: (Run the clip of interaction with kids.)

TRACK: This is SUBMERGE, a marine science festival aimed at educating young children about the importance of preserving the Hudson river.

ACT: (soundbite) Sanchez: I think what’s really unique about this part of the river is that it’s an estuary. It’s where the river meets the ocean, so it’s really ecologically active. A lot of animals that live upriver, and also a lot of animals that live in the oceans, start their lives here in the estuary.

TRACK: Each booth I walked past displayed teams from different programs, each demonstrating remotely operated underwater vehicles, marine specimens, and research stations. SUBMERGE really was a free celebration of the park’s estuary, a rich ecosystem where freshwater and saltwater meet.

AMBI: (natural sound, “festival singing “this land is your land.”)

TRACK: The River Project has been running a fish ecology survey for 30 years to track trends in the lower section of the Hudson River, and since 1988 it has discovered nearly 60 species. Sanchez says that thanks to the project’s efforts, the Hudson River has improved tremendously.

ACT: (soundbite) Sanchez: The river has gotten so much healthier after the clean water act. Ever since the 70’s, you have just seen an increase in population and better water quality. Then there’s keystone species. Certain animals like oysters are coming back as well. We worked to help restore oyster populations as well as other organizations like Billion Oyster Project or Hudson River Park. There’s lots of efforts by great community groups.

AMBI: (natural sound, “volunteer showing the kids marine life.”)

TRACK: The SUBMERGE festival aims to inspire audiences of all ages and make marine science and STEM accessible and engaging for everyone. It’s interactive experiments and kid-approved science entertainment have raised public awareness and allowed children to understand our local waterways. But, why children? Recently, Sweden teenager Greta Thunberg has made international headlines. She is an environmental activist on climate change and has called for stronger action against global warming. Jenna Moore, a staff member at the Climate Museum, says she has the right idea.

ACT: (soundbite): Moore: The youth are trying to point out that the older generation has failed them on this huge issue. The young people are the ones that are going to have to deal with climate change in the future. Some people are unfortunately already having to deal with it right now. They’re trying to step up, we’re sacrificing their childhood to fight this thing that you guys have made us deal with. We shouldn’t be in this situation because something should have been done about this a long time ago.

TRACK: Moore points to a recent lawsuit where 21 youths sues the federal government over climate change and has since gained supporters, including 30,000 youths who have signed onto a legal brief asking the long delayed court case to go to trial.

ACT: (soundbite): There are lawsuits now of children suing the U.S. Well, I shouldn’t say children because they’re acting like adults. They’re totally in the right and covering a ground that hasn’t been covered before.

AMBI: (natural sound, “festival singing “this land is your land.”)

TRACK: Climate change is a fight that will continue to be an uphill battle against political leaders. However, Moore is hopeful a slow, but sure change is occurring globally, largely because of the youth leading the way.

ACT: (soundbite): Moore: People underestimate these students because they assume, they don’t see what’s happening. But they know. And they come at you with such powerful messages, really raw anger and totally intelligent points and it moves you into action.”

TRACK: It’s because of festivals like SUBMERGE that families can celebrate marine science and raise awareness on the importance of climate change.

TRACK: For Baruch College, this is Melissa Bacian in New York City.

 

Santiago Ruiz’s 7 year old pitbull and scruffy steel toe work boots greet you at the bottom of the stairs when you enter his Queens basement apartment. His Milwaukee lunch box sits on top of his kitchen counter with a voltage tester sticking out of the side. There are sweaters and t-shirts with “IBEW” and local 3 spewed on the front and back hanging from various hooks and hangers in his closet. From the moment you enter his home, you are greeted with reminders that Santiago is not only an electrician but also a member of the electrical union. The day he joined, he says, was one of the happiest days of his life. 

  “ The non union job is just every man for themselves.”

After being used as a scapegoat for a job gone wrong, Santiago was fired from a non union company he had worked for for several years. Unemployed with bills to pay and a family to support, Santiago found himself applying to be apart of local 3’s apprenticeship program and three months later got in. 

 “ I feel valued at my job. I feel like I matter at my job. Im making some sort of  difference at my job and they actually care.”

Today over 60 labor unions represent more than 14 million Americans whose common goal is to protect the rights of workers in various industries. Joe Hester who is the assistant employment director of the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry in conjunction with Union Local 3 explains why unions are important.

“Being apart of a union means a sense of structure, a sense of just guidance of protections most people aren’t afforded unfortunately. You have an opportunity to build a camaraderie, build a family structure where you know there’s an organization behind you that won’t let you get harmed or afflicted in anyway.”

Currently overseeing the employment of over 27,000 members, Joe is in charge of the distribution of manpower throughout New York City, Westchester and parts of Connecticut. While optimistic of the attitudes towards unions even though he knows they are declining in popularity, he explains that policies passed by the Trump administration such as restricting unions in the public sector are just the start and is one more step closer to the private sector. 

 “Under the Trump administration right now the NLRB has taken a big hit. The NLRB is the organization that protects workers all across the country of all sorts but when the people who that the president gets to place there aren’t pro worker, you’ll see they stated back in the Spring i think that there was an 11% drop in cases even being heard because people don’t even want to have their charges that they bring up slapped down all in favor of pro business people that they’ve appointed. So it just gets tougher and tougher fight.” 

While he believes unions to be only unpopular but will always be present, Joe describes that if in the future unions are no longer around, it would mean the disappearance of the middle class. 

  “Unions were made to support the middle class. One of our mottos you will hear all across the country is a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.We understand that companies have to make money that businesses have to make money but people just want their fair shake. But the harder it gets for unions to form and have the strength to help their workforce the worse it will be for workers all across the country.”

Santiago too has noticed the fight on the horizon and similarly to Joe doesn’t believe unions will become obsolete. Seeing how he has worked non union before however, the declining popularity of unions has kept him up at night picturing a world without them.

 “It would be pretty sad. I haven’t seen the positive side to the non union work. That might be dangerous in our field in particular because they’re aren’t many people qualified to the the work that we do… They don’t have things in place to teach you the right way. They just throw you into the pool and expect you to just learn things on your own”

While unions might be declining in popularity it seems that union members will not give up just yet and will continue fighting to have unions around. In Queens for Baruch College this is Imani Seda.

At just 22 years old, Emelia Vero is already making a name for herself in the Bronx. The singer / songwriter’s unique sound has attracted many listeners, with her most popular upload on youtube reaching almost seven thousand views. Anacaona Rodriguez Martinez went to the Bronx to hear for herself.

AMBI: Emelia playing R&B melodies on keyboard.

I’m here in Emelia Vero’s home studio in Hunts Point, a neighborhood of about 12,000 residents, that has a reputation for crime and poverty. However, Emelia’s goal is to paint her neighborhood in a better light. 

“I feel like a large part of why I do what I do in terms of music is wanting to represent. Growing up I always felt I was in this awkward middle ground. In DR, I was never Dominican enough: I was always the American. Over here I was never American enough: I was always that Dominican. Kind of being criticized for not knowing Spanish as well as someone from the island, I guess you could hear the difference, and then being here and not speaking English well enough for some people.”

AMBI: Emelia’s cover of Cardi B’s “Be Careful.”

Even though music is something Emely’s now comfortable sharing, her love for sharing her music wasn’t always something that came naturally.One place where she was able to find her confidence, however, was at a train station on the L Line. 

“It wasn’t that hard of a transition because I always viewed train station performers as celebrities as a kid whenever I took the train, which was barely. I would always be shy to give them a dollar and stuff like that, so I always a deep appreciation for them. But I guess by forcing myself to do that was, I don’t know. I guess intimidating: there’s people walking by you, people looking confused, mad sometimes. And there’s great people that you come by. It helped me, I guess, become more confident in myself and my abilities, see what works. That’s how I met a lot of the people that I know today. So, I guess that was a really good start to, I guess, the whole music journey I’ve been on,” she said.

AMBI: Emelia practicing scales on nylon guitar.

Emelia’s passion for music also comes with a passion for sharing her story.  

“It’s like my music represents that middle ground: that first generation upbringing where it’s Spanglish, you know? I throw in some Spanish lines whenever I can. I try to throw in some references and try to include my culture into it. I feel like that’s what touches me the most is being able to listen to my music and have my family, my grandma, be able to understand some parts of it even if it’s not the entire song; still kind of get a gist of what’s going on. My music is kind of like, I do it to represent the middle ground: the first generation upbringing.”

AMBI: Emelia live at the Tiny Bronx Contest performing ‘Nice Smile,’ an original. 

She says, “So, the next song I’m going to do is an original, and it’s called ‘Nice Smile’.” 

“The reason I like this song so much is because it was so hard for me to write. It was like pulling teeth because it’s a flirty song. I tried to not include insecurity into it because I feel like a lot of my love songs come out of pain and a place of admiring the other person but putting myself down a little bit. I wanted to kind of grow from that, and that was my first song that kind of demonstrated it. It’s kind of like, it has a little more confidence to it in comparison to, like, the songs written previous to that point, and I’ve seen myself grow a lot after that point. So I feel like ‘Nice Smile’ was the first song where I really grew in terms of my own confidence and trying to demonstrate that.” 

AMBI: Emelia rehearsing ‘Nice Smile’ in her homemade studio.

She describes her sound as “an influence of all the influences she’s had. 

“So if you were to listen to three of my songs, in terms of the production and stuff, back to back they would sound very different. But I would say the baseline is R&B influenced. There’s kind of like R&B chord progressions and little bits of that in every song. Some songs might sound a little bit more poppy. Some songs might sound a little more latin-influenced. Some songs I sping and I just go straight up Hip Hop, Trap in it. I guess just an influence of all the influences I’ve had.”

AMBI: Emelia practicing a guitar solo on a nylon guitar.

To Emelia, the best piece of advice she’s received is to never forget why you started in the industry. 

“Interestingly enough, I got that piece of advice after playing at the subway. I went out on 42nd Street and Dua Lipa was doing an interview at one of, I don’t know, one of those music station things. When she walked out to say ‘hi’ to the fans, I stopped by. I was just like, “Hey, any advice you would give to someone that’s trying to make it into the industry?” She told me that and said that that’s what her father told her. So that was really nice, and it’s still the most relevant and the best piece of advice I’ve heard to this day,” she said.

TRACK: Emelia live at the Tiny Bronx Contest performing ‘Nice Smile’

For the future, Emelia hopes to keep following Dua’s advice, and have her music be an inspiration to others for years to come. From Hunts Point, this is Anacaona Rodriguez Martinez. 

 New York City is known for its busy streets, city lights and crowded trains. Earlier this year, New York City became more expensive due to an increase in the MTA fares. Although the MTA decided to increase its fares, it hasn’t changed the fact that there are still many issues with the busses and trains. The MTA fare increase affects almost every person that uses the MTA services including students, specifically college students. How does this rise affect students and parents? Sherell Susan has the story.

 I’m in the one-bedroom apartment that Lisa Mapari shares with her mother in Queens, New York. As I walked into the narrow apartment, I realized they’ve been here for fifteen years, and the couch under the cracked window looks even older than that. Mapari is a full-time college student who works a minimum wage job as a waitress while her mother works with special needs kids. She said it has been very difficult to live in such an expensive city, especially now that the MTA increased its fares. Mapari wasn’t aware that the MTA received their funding’s from taxes, tolls and bridges and says she is paying twice over for her monthly metro card.

 “I was not aware but hearing this now is actually a little frustrating because as a student trying to balance full time studies and a full-time job, all my hard-earned money is getting cut because of taxes and on top of that I need to maintain a monthly metro card, so it’s double the expense,” she said.

 This past April, the MTA put into effect the increase in the bus and train fares. The price of a weekly metro card went from $32 to $33 and the cost of a monthly metro card went from $121 to $127. Although a single bus or train ride stayed at $2.75, the cost of the express bus increased from $6.50 to $6.75. Even though a single ride only went up $0.50 in the last ten years, the monthly metro card increased by much more. In 2009 a monthly metro card was $81 compared to $127 that it is today. Despite the increase in fare, many riders believe that the MTA hasn’t done much to better its services rather it has gotten much worse. As a frequent MTA rider, Mapari hasn’t seen any improvements in the busses or trains and believes that the fare increase is another way for the government to get more money.

 “I think the increase in fare is just another thing that’s being done to give the government more funding because we’re getting charged more but the services haven’t changed and still there are many delays and issues with the public transportation. My daily bus ride ranges from 1-2 hours and sometimes I end up being late which results in issues with my boss and professors when I walk in mid shift or class,” she said.

 There are plenty of reasons to be critical of the MTA in terms of how it is run but it is undeniable that the subway system needs a drastic and expensive overhaul. It’s going to take decades to do so. Earlier last month, the MTA once again promised to fix its services but this time with a $51 billion plan in question. This would be considered the largest amount in the MTA’s history and would be effective in 2020. With this new program, the MTA plan to use $40 billion towards improving New York City transit. This plan is supposed to include many benefits for those who use the MTA services daily like more frequent and reliable service on 6-line segments, 70 new ADA accessible stations, over 1,900 new subway cars and over 2,400 new buses. During an MTA board meeting, Lisa Daglion, the executive director of the permanent advisement committee to the MTA says, that congestion pricing funds will be beneficial to the capital plan.

 “We are excited about the FY 2024 capital’s plans potential to transform the riders experience and improve the system, including long awaited accessibility projects. The infusion of congestion pricing funds is a huge game changer,” she said.

Gabriella Barry, a mother of four children of whom two are in college, lives in a three-story house in Queens, New York. Although she does not work, her family’s only provider is her husband who works for a construction company. Having two children in college, Barry needs to pay double every month for their monthly metro card, which is over $250 a month and about $3,000 a year. With the MTA increasing its prices every two years, it puts many NYC citizens under an ever-increasing financial burden, especially Barry. Not only was she not aware that her tax money goes towards the MTA, but now it also goes towards her children’s monthly metro card, which keeps on rising. She believes that the MTA should increase their fares every 10 years because paying for her children’s metro cards gets very expensive.

 “No, I didn’t know they receive the money from taxes. I feel very bad because I pay a lot of taxes and I didn’t know it comes from me in the end and they keep raising and raising and raising and there’s no end to it. I think the increase is too often. They should increase it like every 10 years. I think it’s very expensive especially if you have more than one kid and I think it’s not fair,” she said.

For Baruch college, this is Sherell Susan in Queens, New York.