NND1a Spring 2016

it.

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“A Dictator’s Daughter: Embezzlement, Kidnappings, and Crimes Against Humanity.”

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A Dictator’s Daughter: Embezzlement, Kidnappings, and Crimes Against Humanity.

What if your former president reigned your country for 20 years and was responsible for the death of 70,000 people? What if he kidnapped innocent civilians and then fled the country for sanctuary to avoid being indicted?

Now, imagine his daughter running for president.

A line of passionate protestors shouted throughout Union Square Park, bellowing to commuters and onlookers about the injustice taking place more than 3500 miles away. Evidently, Fujimori’s corruption is inescapable. Those marching chanted in Spanish and held signs for all to see. 

“Tu puedes hacer la diferencia no a la corrupción”

You can make the difference, not the corruption.

Keiko Fujimori is the front running presidential candidate for Peru. Her father, Alberto Fujimori was the former president of Peru from 1990-2000. Throughout his presidency, he committed “crimes against humanity”, fraud, embezzlement, and other heinous crimes. In 2009, he was found guilty of kidnapping a journalist and business man in 1992. He was also convicted of killing 70,000 people during the 20 year war called the Shining Path. He wrecked havoc on the Peru for years and as if his presidency was not enough, his legacy is currently being passed on.

And now his daughter is running for president.

While the optimist argues one is not their parent’s mistakes, the reality is Keiko Fujimori is just as corrupt as her father. She is currently involved in a scandal, The Panama Papers–such documents contain private information pertaining to high profile politicians. Imagine Watergate, but multiplied.

This video  displays the charts the protestors held. Translations can be found throughout this piece. 

The Panama Papers contain millions of documents from nearly 40 decades ago. Telesur reports, “[The Panama Papers] reveal how the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca helped world leaders, wealthy elites, and celebrities hide assets in shell companies and offshore tax havens”–you can probably guess where I am going with this.

“Keiko ya basta!!! El Perú no es tu mína de oro!!! Trabaja!!! No seas konchuda!!!

#KeikoNoVa #FujimoriNuncaMas”

Keiko, enough! Peru is not your goldmine. Work! Do not be taken advantage of!!! #KeikoGo #NoMoreFujimori

Keiko Fujimori’s name is being thrown around in the papers–and her success in the polls raises the questions, is she manipulating the numbers? Are her campaigns buying votes? 

How long this crisis was brewing? Seeing as America’s presidential events are still in the process, what would Americans do if our leading presidential candidate committed the same acts as the Fujimoris?

“For the sake of democracy and dignity, no more Fujimori!”

And despite the obvious corruption within the Peruvian government, Alberto Fujimori’s daughter is leading in the polls.

“No seas konchuda”–We are not freeloaders, and the protestors today confirmed that they are committed to changing the Peruvian government; even if that means bombarding commuters pouring in and out of the subway station.

[newsnarrades2016]

Assignment 8: Design Bootcamp 2

My final project is different from my original, broad idea. I decided to use stickers as the platform to address my audience. The top half asks, “What’s your passion?” while the second one prompts, “Why are you not pursuing it?”

(My dad wrote it since he has better handwriting and he took this picture right before we drove around to hang up the stickers).

Next, the stickers were placed at the following locations:

E 115 & Lexington Avenue

E 115 & First Avenue

Randall Ave & Cross Bronx Expressway

Pleasant Ave

And lastly, in New York Public Library book.

Below are the results: how do I know if I reached 15 people, or anyone at all for that matter? 

When I went back to the locations, I was not surprised by what I had found.

The stickers remained blank, but I knew I had reached at least ONE person–who else could have been responsible for tearing down the stickers at two sites? People encountered them by walking down the streets, glancing mindlessly at the sticker, perhaps pondering the weight of the two posed questions from an absolute stranger.

But, some stickers still remain as shown above. Perhaps they’ll remain until someone writes on them. Or tears them down.

[newsnarrades2016]

Culture Jones Homework

Data Set: Debt by Degrees

Specifically, I would look at the Average Cost for Low-Income Students, Per Year.

Question: Is it cheaper for low-income students to attend universities on the East Coast or on the West Coast?

Filtering

Organize the schools by alphabetizing the universities.

Eliminate schools in the midwest, focusing solely on schools located in:

California, Arizona, Washington

New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania*.

*I would have more territories than West Coast simply because California is massive in comparison to New York. In attempts to make the data as fair as possible, I would have New England territories factored into the East Coast as well.

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Assignment 6: First Interview Notes

Hardcopy notes from my first interview with Shaily. 3 Important Facts:

1. She was born in Mumbai

2. Has an older brother in Ireland

3. “Rhamosh” is the Bollywood film that inspired her to pursue filmmaking.

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Assignment 11: Event

Modern Marriage Proposal? 

“You got a fat ass, baby. I would marry you”

And some say chivalry is dead.

Catcalling is something I am unfortunately used to hearing (regardless of how much it makes my skin crawl). Some men have no boundaries when it comes to  shouting obscenities at women–perhaps to get a reaction out of her, or maybe hoping to strike up a marriage proposal.

The Asian woman wore a Nike hoodie and I don’t remember what her pants looked like, so I unfortunately did not get to confirm whether the man’s remark was true. She appeared to be a college-aged woman, no more than 25 years-old. Walking up towards University Place, chatting amongst her male counterpart, when an older man caught sight of her behind.

I was walking into the train station and he was just a few feet ahead of me. He stopped mid step, halting his entrance into the subway when he noticed the woman walking. 

With a tired hat snug on his head and minimal facial hair brimming his jaw–he could easily be old enough to be this woman’s father.

“You got a fat ass, baby. I would marry you,” he called out to her, peering through the stair banister–a scene that would make Romeo immensely jealous of someone being more romantic than he.

I admit, while being accustomed to hearing remarks about a woman’s body from strangers on the street–no, they are not compliments if they make you uncomfortable–I wondered how the woman felt after hearing a stranger notice her body.

He could have easily complimented her in an non-sexual manner. Hell, he could’ve told her he liked her sweater. But what gives men the authority to willingly shout things like that at women and not give a damn about her in general.

The woman could have been someone’s mother, girlfriend, aunt, or sister. She is someone’s daughter and granddaughter.

But apparently her title is erased when her ass is fat. She becomes an object of fixation due to her appearance. Her intellectual integrity and interests vanish, all while walking down the street.

The catcaller chuckled after, his eyes following her as she walked off, ignoring him while probably trying to dismiss her discomfort. I walked past the man, not caring to stick around for his additional marriage proposals, and I did not think much of the situation.

Until I thought about my good friends.

On numerous occasions, my friends and I talk about our daily encounters with ‘fucking weirdos.’ In High School, one girl said a man nearly followed her home late at night while she was coming home from work–she resolved the issue by crossing the street and waiting for him to walk past her. Another friend recalled a group of boys who harassed her at a gas station in the Bronx, where they tried to grab her. She walked it off. 

One hears stories from their mother, aunts, and friends about ridiculous sexual encounters with men on the subway–whether their perpetrators are suit and tie Wall Street workers, or plain clothed average guys, the stories still leave an impression on the women.

But do the men recall their first and last impressions on the women they catcall?

[newsnarrades2016]

Assignment 9: Radical Revision

“Is it true? Are New Yorkers really rude?”

A wide-eyed woman who has an older brother living in Dublin, a Forever 21 shopping bag at her feet, and her beloved parents who live in the most populated city in India. Her voice drops to a whisper when she speaks about her hardships in New York City, but takes in pride in leaving India in suit of becoming the filmmaker she’s destined to be. She’s 23 years-old with a gleaming smile whenever she talks about her mother, whom is over 7,000 miles away. But despite having lived here for five months, she has not lost her baby face–”people still ask me for my ID!” Her name is Shaily, not ‘Shelly.’

The youthful Mumbai native and avid film lover is studying at The New School, “[I’m a] Bollywood fan, but I want to be a creative producer.” Rhamosh was the film that sparked her interest, “[it’s] a story about two deaf and dumb people who fall in love and get married. Their journey without any words but emotions”–yet when I tried to research the film further, the only thing I found was Barfi! A film with a similar plot but a different title. After trying different keywords and reaching out to another Bollywood guru, I was still struggling to tie loose ends.

Shaily is in the same boat: being separated from her parents after 22 years of sheltering, she is living alone and trying to find an apartment in New York City, a place where studios are the size of a Starbucks bathroom and come with a pricetag of over $1500. She confesses that she recently started smoking cigarettes, “my parents would kill me if they found out!” Indicating that she’s still her parents little girl no matter how far she is from them. With her Forever 21 shopping bag at her feet, I can tell she’s had her fair share of retail therapy today. Regardless of the fact that she has not seen her parents since she first moved to the states, she heeds her mother’s advice daily.

“Life is really short and you should enjoy your life as much as you can with the time that you have”–and travelling is what she intends on doing aside from making dromedies (dramatic-comedies). With an older brother living in Dublin, Ireland for unspecified reasons, she proudly reveals that she wants to visit the city more than her sibling. Shaily thrives amongst people, perhaps a trait that she acquired throughout her life in Mumbai: “Mumbai is like the NYC of India–lots of party places. [My] friends complain about crowded areas, but I am comforted by a lot of people.”

She laughs when recalls times with her friends from back home, and the amount of times she still gets ID’ed at bars and clubs. But her voice drops to a whisper, “Is it true? Are New Yorkers really rude?” Her innocent question makes me forget that she is a grown woman living in a foreign city similar yet different from her own. I smile and assure her that yes, we are in fact, very rude. But her vivacious attitude is untainted, and that’s what sets her apart from the millions of other New York City dreamers.

[newsnarrades2016]

Assignment 10: Twitter Story

No two people share the same college experience.

For my assignment, I wanted to scope out the most outlandish tweets from college students.

Search words: college OR confession

Hashtags: #omg, #college, #advice, #dontdoit.

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Assignment 3: Design Bootcamp

I wanted to reach a group of 15 random people. In terms of how I knew for sure if I reached them, they would pass by my piece everyday. I wanted to pose the question, “what is your passion and why aren’t you pursuing it?” on a piece of paper and hang it up wherever I could. The location would be all along New York City. That way, my audience is not limited to a specific group of persons–as long as you can read, you can be included within my project.

Whether the sign gets posted in my hallway, school corridor, or even if I “dropped” a slip onto an empty subway chair. The question would touch anyone who happened to read it, or even glance at it. I’m hoping that the broad question strikes a personal connection with the reader and perhaps inspire them to ask the question to those around them. 

[newsnarrades2016]

John McPhee Notes

Find your lead then build your structure.

Keep leads simple, but interesting. Do not make leads flashy.

Blind leads: withhold the name of the person you’re writing about and disclose it in later paragraphs.

A lead is a promise–have the information in your piece be just as interesting as your lead.

[newsnarrades2016]

Students of Color Are Much More Likely to Attend Schools Where Most of Their Peers Are Poor

An exclusive Next America analysis uncovers that students of color in the largest 100 cities in the United States are much more likely to attend schools where most of their peers are poor or low-income.

This article was striking, but one of the most crucial lines were: “that [children in poverty] includes students with incomes up to $44,863 for a family of four, or 185 percent of the federal poverty line”–considering that there are private schools embedded within Manhattan who cater to a different demographic of children. For instance, Friends Seminary on East 16 Street has a tuition of $37,000, and only 22% of their students are on financial aid.

“In just four cities do most white students attend schools where at least three-fourths of their classmates qualify as low-income”–another line that resonated with me because it highlights the inequality gap between students of color and white students. 

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Assignment 7: Shaily, not Shelly.

“It’s a story about two deaf and dumb people who fall in love and get married. Their journey without any words but emotion.”

A Mumbai native describes the Bollywood film that sparked her passion for creative production. At 23 years old, Shaily (pronounced ‘Shelly’) talks about her first time away from her family, who live back in India. Living in a giant city with no family, she is fueled by people and crowds, it’s no wonder why I found her sitting comfortably alone at a table at 25 W Union Square–or the Starbucks right by Panera.

Her favorite place is Union Square, which is understandable because there’s no curfew here. She beams when I ask her about her favorite place: “This [New York City] is the city that never sleeps! Mumbai, where I’m from, is like the NYC of India...I’m comforted by a lot of people”–Shaily’s comfort in people does not strike me as odd, seeing as when I approached her and asked her for an interview, she took out her headphones, smiled, and agreed.

Born and raised more than 7,000 miles away, Shaily decided to study at The New School to focus her studies on film. When I asked her why, her response was: “it [TNS] had all the courses that I wanted, Plus, it’s located in NYC.”

The city that oozes with creativity is a source of inspiration for Shaily, especially since she has to divide her time between school and apartment hunting–which she regards as the most stressful thing about living in such an expensive city. 

“I even started smoking!” she admits with a shy smile, “if my parents found out, they would kill me!

When I ask her about her family, Shaily gawks about her older brother. Not so much that he’s her brother, but because he’s living in Dublin, Ireland: “I’m more interested in visiting the city (Dublin) than my brother haha.”

Shaily’s charisma carries on throughout our interview as she even takes to interviewing me every now and again. “Is it true?” she leans in closer, “that New Yorkers are really rude?” she asks me, a native New Yorker. Without hesitation, I answer.

“Yes.”

“Ahah! Now I know it’s true” Shaily announces. “It’s just that people are always in a constant rush and some people do walk really fast.”

I’m not ready to walk out of our interview because she has such an inviting personality. Shaily, not Shelly. The youthful 23-year-old who still gets asked to show her ID. The Mumbai native who one day hopes to bring her parents over to her new home, to see Times Square and all the people in it, and hopefully, to a movie theater to screen her latest film.

What’s the film that inspired her?

 “It’s a Bollywood film,” she proudly answers. She knows I can’t spell the film, let alone pronounce it. She grabs my pen and paper and writes in her neat cursive, “Rhamosh. It’s a story about two deaf and dumb people who fall in love and get married. Their journey without any words but emotion.”

[newsnarrades2016]

The Meaning in Kendrick Lamar's Grammys Performance

He shed light on an internal struggle in the face of external conflict.

I’ll admit, I did NOT watch the Grammy’s for a bunch of reasons. However, I knew that I had to see Kendrick’s performance–and when I saw it, I felt like a proud mom. He managed to address so many issues within a span of under 10 minutes.

Just a few months ago, I wasn’t a Kendrick fan...I couldn’t get used to his voice. I heard “ADHD” and didn’t see his hype. I liked it but I didn’t love it. But I realized it was more about feeling his music and the weight of his words. 

His 2012 mixtape The New West was dope. His 2015 album, To Pimp a Butterfly is what kept me in Kendrick’s wrath. To Pimp a Butterfly made me love the guy.

Kendrick’s performance was simply profound: he made his audience listen and as Kornhaber notes, “[Kendrick] draw[s] power from his heritage to confront white America: “You hate me don’t you? You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture. You’re fuckin’ evil, I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey.”

Not to mention that he skipped a line in one of his performances. While performing “Alright”, he skipped the line “We hate po-po”–why did he skip that line? We could spend hours talking about his logic behind the lost line.

But please, please, please watch his performance, even if you aren’t a Kendrick fan. Feel the hurt, passion, and realness in his voice. He addresses mass incarceration. He literally places Compton (his hometown) in the heart of Africa.

He leaves you with a myriad of questions.

Perhaps you’ll be a Kendrick fan, too.

[newsnarrades2016]

Assignment 6: Interview with Shaily

I met Shaily at the Starbucks located at 25 W Union Square. She was sitting at the large table alone, headphones plugged into her ears. Our interview was conversational and surprisingly never awkward. She even asked me some questions and overall we had a good vibe!

Iris: What’s your name and where are you from?

Shaily: My name is Shaily, but it’s spelled S-h-a-i-l-y not Shelly. 

I: That’s such a pretty name and a unique spelling.

S: Thank you. My name is Shaily, I’m 23 and I’m from India.

I: So, why are you here? Why New York City? Do you have family here?

S: I came here five months ago for film. I’m a fan of Bollywood films and I want to be a creative producer. No I don’t have family here, but I have family in LA. I’m studying at The New School.

I: No way! I’m a student there too. Where are you studying at?

S: The big building on fifth avenue.

I: I know exactly what you mean. That’s crazy that we go to the same school!

S: What are you studying?

I: Journalism and Design at Lang. I used to major in Literature but where’s the money in that? 

S: I know! Parents always ask, “Can this get you a job?”

I: Exactly. So, why The New School?

S: New School had all the courses that I wanted and plus it’s located in NYC.

I: So what’s the best part of living in NYC?

S: You get to meet so many people! You go down to Times Square and you just see so many people. What about you, are you from here?

I: Yup. I’m a New Yorker. So what’s your favorite movie? Bollywood or Western.

S: It’s a Bollywood film. 

I: Here, you can write it down.

S: *grabs pen and notepad and begins to write* “Rhamosh” (story about two deaf and dumb people who fall in love and get married. Their journey without any words but emotions).

I: Wow, that sounds intense. So what’s the biggest difference between NYC and India?

S: Living alone. I’ve lived with my family for 22 years and I realized that you never spend a lot of time home. But that changes when you’re alone. Have you ever been outside the country?

I: Just on vacation but we never went outside of the states. I would like to go to South America, Spain, any Spanish speaking country.

S: You should go. I still feel like you should be apart from your family and ge outside your comfort zone.

I: I totally agree. One day, one day. What’s your favorite NYC place?

S: Union Square. This is the city that never sleeps! Mumbai, where I’m from, is like the NYC of India–lots of party places. My friends complain about crowded areas but I’m comforted by a lot of people. What’s one of your favorite places?

I: Psh, there’s so many. I think it honestly depends on the season. I like to go to the Seaport on Fulton.

S: I know where that is!

I: Yeah, or this place called East Harlem Cafe. It’s right on 103 and Lex. You see so many people come in and out everyday. Too bad it closes early–6pm. But I think we’re just spoiled with things closing so late.

S: I know! Things here close pretty late and I was surprised.

I: Do you have moments where you wish you could go back home?

S: Every time I go apartment hunting, it’s so stressful. I started smoking and if my parents found out, they would kill me!

I: Speaking of family, do you have any siblings?

S: Yes! I have an older brother who lives in Ireland.

I: Would you like to visit him?

S: I’m more interested in visiting the city (Dublin) than my brother haha. I have a question–Are New Yorkers really rude? Yes or no?

I: [laughs] Yes.

S: Ahah! Now I know it’s true. It’s just that people are always in a constant rush and some people do walk really fast. You’re a New Yorker, where do you live?

I: I live in Harlem with my parents. It’s not too bad. If I want to go out they don’t make a big deal about it because I’ll be 20 soon so.....

S: Oh wow, that’s true. Technically after you turn 21 you can do whatever you want, like going out. Do you go out?

I: Sometimes. I’m not addicted to going out 24/7 or anything. Plus I’m under 21 so my options are limited. 

S: I’m 23 and everyone asks me for my ID.

I: It’s because you look so young! So do you guys have a favorite holiday meal?

S: In India we love sweets! So much food. 

[we then talked about my holiday traditions].

I: Have your parents visited?

S: No, but I’m hoping to gather money for them to come.

I: Okay, last question and then we can wrap up. I don’t want to keep you too long.

S: No go ahead! Don’t worry about it.

I: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

S: Hmmmm....... Best piece of advice I’ve received came from my mother, we’re very close. She said, ‘life is really short. You should enjoy your life as much as you can with the time that you have’ and I really believe that.

I: That’s great advice. Okay, I lied. This is my last question: what kind of films do you want to make?

S: I like dramedies (dramatic comedies)–ones with lasting, subtle messages. You know something meaningful but not too extreme or noticeable. 

I: That’s awesome. Here’s my email and I’ll link you to our interview. I hope to see your films in the future!

S: You want to be a journalist, right?

I: Yes.

S: That’s great!

I: Hopefully I’ll be back to interview you about your latest movie!

S: I hope so too!

[newsnarrades2016]

“News Writing” Active Reading

Part 1

Brainstorming/Notes

Do not begin writing unless you have a plan.

Look over your notes and pick out important quotes/ideas.

Organize what will go into your final piece and what gets left behind–not everything in your notes will make the cut.

Audience

Focus on your audience: what interests them? 

Make sure your piece evokes feelings and emotions into your audience. AKA, grab their attention and keep it.

Consider who/what you are writing for. 

You can have an audience that is entirely familiar with your subject and therefore requires minimal information about the piece.

You can have an audience that has no background knowledge about your piece, so more substantial info is required (without being overwhelming).

Don't show off your extensive vocabulary. Always pick the familiar word.

Don’t be condescending towards your audience. You’ll discourage them from reading your piece and they won’t care for what you have to say.

*Keep it simple and straight to the point. Organize your notes and decide what is important/worth keeping. Avoid using showy words but don’t make your audience feel dumb. Put your audience first. Always.

Part 2

Intro

Functions: Engage the reader and be a brief summary.

Include maybe one fact in your intro–it’s not supposed to summarize your entire piece.

Best intros demand that you continue to read the piece.

Set the tone for what’s to follow.

*Intros should not be loaded with facts and it should automatically engage the reader. The function is to encourage the reader to continue reading the piece.

Part 3

The paragraphs following the intro is a hierarchy of information.

“News is more engaging if it describes something that is happening, rather than something that is not.”

Avoid jargon and cliches (they can exclude some readers).

Include acronyms if need be, but ALWAYS explain them.

Remove unnecessary words, passive verbs, repetition, cliche, jargon and pompous or pretentious expression.

[newsnarrades2016]

Assignment Five: Vox Pop

How do you feel about Public Displays of Affection?

Kenny, 21, Augusta, GA: “I don’t care! Love is love. A kiss here, a hug there. Just don’t get too crazy now.”

Kate, 18, Boston, MA: “I guess I don’t really mind it. I mean, keep it to a minimum, you know? One time this couple was practically making out in my school’s dining hall and it was just over the top.”

Tomie, 20, Michigan: “Do whatever you please! But, there’s limits to PDA–kissing before hopping on the train, that’s okay. A hug goodbye while waiting for the subway, fine. But making out the corner of Fifth Avenue during rush hour? No thanks. Take that back home.”

Nicole, 34, New York, NY: “You mean me or other people? I don’t do that, but if others want to, then it’s fine by me.”

Jacob, 21, Seattle, WA: “Who am I to judge? People can do as they please. It [PDA] doesn’t bother me at all.”

[newsnarrades2016]

Matt Ford’s piece for The Atlantic instantly caught my attention. Titled, “Restoring Voting Rights for Felons in Maryland”, Ford compares Maryland’s new laws to several states current laws regarding voting rights for felons. Ford writes, “Under the state’s previous laws, felons regained the right to vote after completing their entire sentence, including probation or parole. The new law restores voting rights to felons who are no longer imprisoned, but are still under probation or parole”–this explanation of Maryland’s voting system makes it apparent that felons were clearly at a disadvantage prior to the new law. Their voting rights were restored if and only if they complete their probation/parole.

But one of the most striking aspects of this piece was the statistic that “about 44,000 Marylanders will regain their vote under the new law.” This means that felons, who once denied democracy based upon their criminal background, will now have the right to vote on crucial aspects pertaining to them. I’m just about done reading Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, and if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend picking up a copy. 

Alexander explains how the mass incarceration of African American men has changed over the years due to various circumstances. She also explains that voting rights and the right to serve on a jury are revoked once someone is labeled as a felon (Alexander, 142). Thinking back to Ford’s article and realizing that 44,000 Marylanders will finally have the right to vote insinuates that felons are slowly integrating back into mainstream society. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time before other states begin to follow suit and allow everyone the right to vote.