Tag Archives: Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

Nassau County Youth Programs Suffering at the Hands of Elected Officials by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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Eager volunteers, tables filled with arts and crafts, and a pumped up DJ await as students begin to file in for some Christmas fun. The gym at Gotham Avenue Elementary School will soon be filled with nearly 400 first to fourth graders for this years Christmas party. Patrick Boyle, Executive Director of Gateway Youth Outreach, Inc., along with his staff, put together this party for the children who are a part of GYO at Gotham, as well as students from nearby elementary schools. The toys given to these nearly 400 children, the pizza delivered for them as well as volunteers and staff, and the surprise visit from Santa Claus were all sponsored by GYO. This event would not be the first that GYO has had to sponsor without the help of government funding since the budget cut in July.

“We had programs that had 800 kids in them every day after school. Nassau County in their infinite wisdom decided in July to cut our budget completely. We do have one program that is being run through a state grant at the Gotham Avenue School for 100 children, but that means that 700 kids don’t get programs,” said Boyle. This great decrease in numbers of kids who don’t get programs does not begin to show the devastation of the budget cut.

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Parents of children that attend elementary schools in the Sewanhaka Central District who are used to having summer programs and afterschool offered to them through GYO were forced to find alternative programs, most likely at a high cost or at an inconvenient location. Luisa Celis, parent of an 8-year old at the only open afterschool program in the districts says, “This is just a life saver for me. Babysitting is expensive and I cannot work to pay babysitters. If they cut the program, I probably won’t be able to have a job.” Like many parents who work full time, Luisa just needs somewhere for her son to stay for an hour or two until she is off of work and able to pick him up.

Gateway Youth Outreach does not only consist of afterschool programs. The staff of GYO works with students who are on probation and they allow them to do community service as well as provide them with counseling. More counseling is provided for elementary and high school students and their parents who live in Elmont, if there is a problem within the home. Also, GYO deals with superintendent suspensions in order to help a child that is in trouble get back into school faster. “We run a myriad of programs and whatever the need is in the community, that’s what we’ll do,” said Boyle.

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GYO is a not for profit corporation that receives a certain amount of money from Nassau County to run the business and provide it’s different programs. The total budget for GYO for the year is about $328,000. For all 43 youth service agencies in Nassau County, the budget was $7.3 million. In relation to the $2.6 billion budget for the whole county, the budget for youth services is a mere 0.002%. “To me it’s just a war on kids and there families, the county is very short-sighted,” said Susanna Isaacson, former member of the Nassau County youth board. After the budget cut, Isaacson was told she either had to retire early or she would be laid off. She decided to retire a year early and did not receive her full 30-year pension.

The politics behind the budget cut made by Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano gets complicated, but Mr. Boyle was able to explain it in layman’s terms. “It was because of a fight between redistricting and bonding, it had nothing to do with youth services,” said Boyle. Politicians were not concerned with the welfare of the children and their families, but more so they were looking out for their own jobs when it came to making the decisions for the budget cuts.

So what is in the future for youth programs in Nassau County, more specifically Gateway Youth Outreach? At 4:29pm on October 11, GYO received a little over 50% of their money back for funding. Now, the program will be able to serve about half as many kids as it did when it received full funding, this means close to 400 kids in total. “They can still use us as a pawn because they have only given us back half of our money and they know we want the other half because that is how we serve as many people as we do,” said Boyle. It is the hope of many working parents that 100% of the youth programs in the Sewanhaka Central District community as well as throughout Nassau County will be restored soon. The guidance that these programs provide for the youth is necessary and imperative to the thriving communities of Long Island.

A Muslim Leader in Brooklyn, Reconciling 2 Worlds Quiz by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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I would describe Sheik Reda’s place on the social/political spectrum to be “middle of the road,” neither a conservative, nor a liberal but someone who has some ideals of both. Arriving in Brooklyn one year after September 11 from the northeastern part of Egypt, Sheik Reda became more than just an imam, he was a leader who would try to reconcile two cultures with polar ideals. According to the article Mr. Shata, as he is also called, “is neither a firebrand nor a ready advocate of progressive Islam.” Furthermore, the article says that some of the Sheik’s views would offend conservative Muslims and other beliefs would repel American liberals.

Like hundreds of imams living in the United States, Sheik Reda “must unify diverse congregations with often clashing Islamic traditions.” This is a great task, as each individual in the congregation deals with issues on an every day basis that conflicts with the Islamic religion. Mr. Shata explains that Islam is supposed to make a person’s life easier, not harder. This gives further evidence as to why the Sheik loosely interprets the Muslim faith when dealing with the issues of his congregation.

Small Service, Big Impact by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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Bright lights mirror the futures of the elementary and middle school children that walk through the doors of Elmont Memorial Library. To the left is the Children’s room, where children from grades K-6 can interact, get help with homework, and play with engaging learning materials. To the right is the young adult section, where teens congregate around computer screens while surfing the web or sit at round tabled to do homework while chatting with friends. Straight ahead at the reference desk is Lee Gorray, Librarian and director of Homebound Services, one of the many services offered by Elmont Memorial Library.

The program started about 6 years ago. According to Gorray, there was not much planning for the program to begin, the spark came from a person who requested it. “I don’t really remember how it started, but I guess someone called the director of the library and asked if they had Homebound Services. The director contacted me and all I know is that the program started with a few and then it grew to be more,” said Gorray. She was not aware at the time that this service would grow to be a major part of her job as well as a major part of the lives of those who are homebound.

Homebound Services is a program for Elmont Memorial Library cardholders living in Elmont, North Valley Stream, and East Franklin Square who are not able to leave their homes to come to the library. Usually, those that are a part of Homebound have been with afflicted with a disease such as AIDS. Lee Gorray works in conjunction with the library’s custodian to deliver books and DVD’s to participants of Homebound services.

Gorray chooses the books that are distributed from book discussions held at the library, recommendations from her co-workers, and her own recommendations. “Sometimes they are in pain, sometimes they want something very light, so you give them humorous books, light books,” said Gorray. Also, Homebound members are able to request what books they would like to read or what DVD’s they would like to see. If the books are not available, as soon as they come in Gorray puts them on hold to be delivered. They are put in bags with names and addresses and are ready to reach their assigned homes.

Gorray chooses not to publicize this service online or throughout the library, rather she gains participants through word of mouth. She said that if it was widely advertised, she would have too many people to deliver books to and it would become overwhelming. As of right now she has 8 people who she delivers books to every 2 weeks.

Gorray showed me her records and books of names and addresses that she has kept over the years of different people who have used Homebound Services. Her logs are from when the program started 6 six years ago. She mentioned different names and what books they like to read. “You get to know what they’re like,” said Gorray. Gorray pays very close attention to the preferences of the people she visits, discussing if they need books with large font or if they only want DVD’s instead of books.

Lee Gorray’s role as a librarian helps her as director of Homebound Services because she is very knowledgeable about the books in the library and stays on top of the circulation of books. Some people wish that Gorray could visit them every week in order for them to get new material. “I can’t do it every week, it would be too time consuming. So i give them enough to cover them for two weeks, maybe I would give them two or three books or four or five DVD’s instead of just one,” Gorray said. This allows Gorray to have time to to sort through more books and fulfill her duties as a librarian as well.

This small community service is making a big impact and will continue to make and impact thanks to Lee Gorray. She has planted a seed that will continue to grow at the Elmont Memorial Library. Homebound Services gives those that are afflicted with disease and cannot leave their home something to look forward to and a way to lift their spirits. Reading can help to provide a temporary escape and a distraction for such people.

Gorray’s genuine care for people that are no longer able to leave their homes and her enthusiasm for this service is exactly what is necessary to keep such a program going. “I enjoy being the director of Homebound Services. It’s simple and they like it,” Gorray said.

Homebound Services by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

Sandy’s Nail Salon: A Gem of Long Island by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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After a long day of work or school you sluggishly walk into Sandy’s Nail Salon for your 6 o’clock appointment. Suddenly, you are greeted by smiling faces waiting to pamper you. Your body is put at ease as you slip into the massage chair for a pedicure and bathe your feet in the flowing warm water. With the television in front of you, you begin to feel as if you are at home, comfortable and very relaxed. “I’ve been to a lot of salons, but I haven’t been more satisfied than here at Sandy’s,” said a customer.

Sandy opened the doors of her nail salon in 2010 and business has been booming ever since. Sandy has been doing nails for 15 years, working at other nail salons and finally opening two of her own. The other nail salon that she owns is located in Brooklyn on 8th Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Street. Her brother Allen manages the salon in Brooklyn and she visits on occasional Saturdays. “I love to work with my family. I am happy that I work in a business where I can be close to them,” said Sandy. The location for the Long Island salon was chosen because she moved to New Hyde Park from Queens and saw that there was a movie theater on the same block as well as Synergy Gym, both of which would help to attract customers. Sandy’s business insight as well as her loyal customer base helps her salon to do well, even in tough economic times.

Sandy does not believe she has any real competition in the neighborhood. Not only because there are literally no salons in the immediate surrounding area, but because her nail designs and services are so unique. Word of mouth has been a huge contribution to Sandy’s customer base. One customer said, “I have a lot of friends who come here and they referred me. I don’t know who could compete with Sandy. Sandy is just better.”

Recently, Sandy has been advertising her unique designs on Instagram. This app that has taken social networking by storm allows Apple product users and Android users to share photos fun and freely.  “One day a customer showed me a photo of her nails that I did on her Instagram page and it got over 50 likes. She helped me to make a page and it has helped the business a lot,” said Sandy. With business going so great and an Instagram page viewed by people all around the world who want to have their nails done by Sandy, one can’t help but wonder where the next location for a Sandy Nail Salon would be. Sandy replies to those queries by saying modestly, “I am not a businesswoman. I am a housewife.” Although eager customers who are not in the New York area would like to have such unique yet humble nail technicians as the ones that work at Sandy’s Nail Salon, Brooklynites and Long Islanders are lucky to have Sandy and her experts at their fingertips.

 

Response: The Deadly Choices at Memorial by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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In the wake of facing our own super storm Sandy, this article hit very close to home. Many of us lost power for days, experienced damage to their homes, and some even lost their whole house. Unfortunately, many lives were lost during this hurricane as well. Sandy devastated the lives of many but it was not nearly as devastating as the effects of Hurricane Katrina. As I began to read the article, “The Deadly Choices at Memorial,” the eerie tone brought about goosebumps to my skin. I could not imagine walking through a hospital after this deadly hurricane and seeing motionless bodies everywhere. Furthermore, I could not imagine being the person responsible for the many casualties at the Memorial Medical Center in Uptown New Orleans.

I think it is appalling that after the physician Anna Pou injected some patients with lethal doses of drugs to hasten their deaths, she was allowed to advise state and national medical organizations and conducts lectures on medicine and ethics. Instead, she should have been indicted on the charges for second-degree murder, as well as the other medical professionals that were involved. Pou asks, “How long should health care workers have to be with patients who may not survive?” The key word “may” implies that a patient has the possibility to survive and the medical professionals would completely disregard this fact and take their life. This to me seems like murder.

As I read further into the article, I became more and more disgusted with the choices on the medical professionals at Memorial. According to the article, Richard Deichmann said that patients with D.N.R. orders had terminal or irreversible conditions, and at Memorial he believed they should go last because they would have had the “least to lose” compared with others if calamity struck. This is utterly sick coming from a medical-department chairman who is supposed to do everything in his power to help save the lives of each and every patient, even in the face of a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.

Although there could never be enough preparation made for natural disasters, healthcare and medical professionals should be willing to do whatever it takes to help their patients in the wake of such disasters. The order or medical attention should not shift in the wake of tragedy and everyone should receive the same care, as is allowed. In the event of any emergency medical professionals should come together and make plans that are in the best interest of each and every patient.

Community Service Proposal-Homebound by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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The Elmont Public Library is a central site for the Elmont community. Not only does the public library provide a place to study and read, it also houses many events each month, has a wonderful kids section, and is an enjoyable place for people of any age. I know that this library does anything that it possibly can to help out the people of Elmont, so I decided to ask about their community service programs.

I approached the help desk and I was greeted by a very friendly librarian named Lee Gorray. I explained the neighborhood project and she was glad to assist me. She began to talk about her own community service program that she is the leader of at the library, called Homebound. This program allows for people that are sick and not able to come to the library a chance to have books delivered to them every two weeks. She said that although it sounds like an easy enough task, it is time consuming. The people that can participate in this program are Elmont Public Library cardholders that live in Elmont, Valley Stream and a few other surrounding towns. She says that she has to make home visits to see what the people like to read. I believe that this is a wonderful program and it is a great way for those that are homebound to have access to reading materials and new books that interest them. I am excited to interview Lee Gorray and learn more about Homebound.

Our Lady of the Artichokes by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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Katherine Vaz made a brave leap by including her religion in her writing, since many people are skeptical about discussing any religion. However, Vaz went about writing these short stories with such grace and life that it is hard to focus on anything other than her realness as well as her great imagination. The use of imagery and constant strings of emotions captures readers from the beginning of this collection of short stories until the very end.

While reading through the first short story, “Taking a Stitch in a Dead Man’s Arm,” I found myself relating to a lot of what Vaz wrote. From dealing with loss to being afraid of the dark. The part about removing the stitch from a dead man’s arm to get rid of fear of darkness was interesting to me because I have heard many superstitions, but I have never heard about that one. The phrase, “Do not wait. Fear nothing.” really stuck with me because fear in itself can be enough to hold one back from pursuing what they need to accomplish in life. It is a powerful statement and a reminder that no one should ever let fear rule their life.

I noticed that much of Vaz’s writing has to do with death and tragedy and I am very much interested to find out the reason why. I am eager to question her when she comes to talk to the class on Thursday. After seeing Katherine at the reading today I see that she looks like a happy and lively person. The mood of her short stories does not seem to match her personality or appearance and that is why I believe she has a great imagination.

Liebling by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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Back Where I Came From: Apology For Breathing

I liked this excerpt of Liebling’s writing because he notes the different layers of New York City and the fact that not every New Yorker views the city the same. His writing is so descriptive that the reader is able to envision his explanations with the imagery he provides. Liebling says that the finest thing about New York City is that it is like one of those complicated Renaissance clocks, on one level an allegorical marionette pops out to mark the day of the week, on another a skeleton death bangs the quarter hour with his scythe, and on a third the Twelve Apostles do a cakewalk. This is my favorite line from this writing. I have seen writings where New York City has been compared to a great number of things but this comparison is on point and by far the best. Liebling goes on to say that some New Yorkers are completely submerged in their environment that they live and die oblivious of the worlds around them. I believe that I am the exact opposite of that. I am the New Yorker that he describes who is instinctively aware of the wonders of New York’s natural history, but think them hardly worthy of mention. I think that because we live in New York some of us may overlook just how magnificent this city is. One point that Liebling made that I disagree with is his statement that New Yorkers are modest. While some New Yorkers may be modest indeed, most are completely not. We live in one of the greatest cities in the world and I believe that we are entitled to feel decorous at some times. On the other hand, Liebling’s statement that New York women are the most beautiful in the world, is something that I absolutely agree with.

 

Beginning With The Undertaker

I read this piece a few times and I thought the whole thing was very random. I am not sure if there is a hidden meaning behind the number of baths or if he means exactly what he says. If someone figures it out I would really like to know.

 

People In Trouble

While reading this chapter I had to look up the year that this book was written because Liebling starts talking about rooms in apartment buildings in Harlem being rented for $4 to $7 a week and I knew this couldn’t have been written recently. Just as I suspected, the book was written in 1938. It was interesting to know that although the blocks of Harlem were overcrowded, to say the least, no major epidemic arose and the people stayed clean. When Liebling starts to talk about Mrs. Hankinson, I picture her as that same old lady that has been on any New York block for many, many years.

Liebling notes that the children of Knickerbocker village, although they are poor, never feel inclined to walk outside Harlem or even to a different part of Harlem. Those children most likely find comfort in their living situation and appreciate it because it is all they know. Outsiders may look at the people of this block as people in trouble but they themselves do not believe that they are in trouble at all.

 

Getting By

The faster in this story, Ben Green, is very dedicated for fasting for 38 days. Is it even possible to still be alive after fasting for so long? The eater on the other hand, Di Larentis was also very dedicated for eating everything that he ate. This comparison of the differences of how people get by is ironic and very funny.

 

Tummler

This is the second piece from Liebling that I am reading and Belmont is mentioned. I live in Elmont and Belmont is down the block from my house. I am aware that Belmont Racetrack is a historical landmark but I was not aware that so many writers felt compelled to write about it. I didn’t know what a tummler was but I looked up the definition. A tummler is a person who makes things happen, in particular a professional entertainer whose function is to encourage an audience, guests at a resort, etc., to participate in the entertainments or activities. This precisely describes Hymie.

Elmont Neighborhood Face: Ana Iris Mojocoa by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung

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Mrs. Mojocoa teaches students how to use geo mirrors for discovering angle relationships in reflections.

Ana Mojocoa is a favorite of the math teachers at Elmont Memorial High School. Her great enthusiasm and passion for teaching allows her students to excel in mathematics, from grades 9 through 12. Mrs. Mojocoa graduated from Queens college in 2005 and began teaching at Elmont that very same year. This year, in May, Mrs. Mojocoa earned her Master of Science degree in Adolescent Mathematics Education. “I finally finished my schooling, 10 years later” she jokingly said.

Although she served in the United States Navy for 13 years, Mrs. Mojocoa knew thats she wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl. “I used to write on my walls and pretend I was a teacher. If I ever saw that my brothers and sisters or even my cousins were doing something wrong and I thought I could help them by correcting it, I would do that because I thought I was teaching them something.”

Originally from West Texas with Mexican parentage, Mrs. Mojocoa said that it took a lot of time to get adjusted to living in New York. “I do have to say that when I first moved here it was very hard, a big adjustment. I’ve been here for 11 years so now I’m used to it.”

After graduating from high school at age eighteen in El Paso, Texas and attending Texas Tech for one semester, she joined the Navy and lived aboard her ship in several states including California, Florida, and Maryland. Her final destination was Westbury, Long Island where she currently lives with her husband Anthony Mojocoa and their three children: Erika, 17, Cristian, 7, Andrew, 2.

Although Westbury is not too far from Elmont, the thought comes to mind, why Elmont? Mrs. Mojocoa’s original plan was to work at the main school in the district, Sewanhaka Central High School. After meeting the math supervisor at Sewanhaka and getting a taste of her teaching approach from a sample lesson, Mrs. Mojocoa knew that she wanted to work for her. “I am a very determined person and I was determined to work for her. So when they were doing the student teaching assignments I got assigned to North Valley Stream and I fought against it.”

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“Nationally Recognized School of Excellence”

Mojocoa got her way and started at Sewanhaka. However, since there was no openings for the following year at Sewanhaka, she was placed at Elmont. It worked out and she was a perfect fit. She said, “ I just love it here.”

Podcast: Mrs. Mojocoa discusses the difficulty she faces in her teaching career at Elmont Memorial High School.

Mojocoa by Sarah Moi-Thuk-Shung