quagmirere - FIRST TAKE

FALL 2008
The New York Association of Black Journalists Student Journalism Workshop
LA Times July 8, 2008
CO-SPONSORED BY LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY (BROOKLYN CAMPUS)
school students like Manuel Marcosa attend night school at Laguradia Community College in Long
Island City, Queens. There, he is
supported by his professors and the
college community.
According to Laguardia’s financial aid office, students would save
more money going to a two-year
college compared to a private or
four-year college.
“Since I’m not able to pay for
the four-year college, I’ll do my
two years of college now. I’ll work,
save money, then hopefully finish
the four years of college at another
campus,” Marcosa said.
The search for jobs is another
obstacle for undocumented students. Most summer jobs or internships that U.S. citizens secure
require a social security number.
Marcel Louis, an immigration lawyer, said that in order for undocumented students to be considered
for Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), they would
need a social security number and
to become a legal resident. There
are few options to receiving legalized status. One of the most common is to apply for an international
student visa.
This process requires the student to leave the U.S. and enter the
country through their new visa.
“This is a possibility, but there is
a chance that the student will be
locked out of the United States for
at least ten years,” Louis said. “I
wouldn’t suggest it.” Although there
Yahya were a few proposals to help aid undocumented students, they were not
passed by the Senate. One idea was the Dream
Act. Immigrant students who were brought to
the U.S. more than five years ago when he or she
was younger than 15 years of age and has “good
moral character” would qualify for the Dream
Act. Despite the significant amount of people
who support immigrant rights, there are many
others who oppose them. The Nativist is one of
many anti-immigration organizations working
to deport illegal immigrants. The organization
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
CAUGHT IN FINANCIAL AID
QUAGMIRERE
By: Cyndi
J
ulia Casedo is struggling with many issues
facing undocumented high school students in the U.S. today.
“I’m going to college and it’s so hard to find
one that will help me financially,” said Casedo,
who is 17 years old and lives in New York City.
According to the National Immigration Law
Center, between 50,000 to 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools
each year.
There are few private grants, loans, and
scholarships available for these students who are
planning to go to college. For the most part, private aid is limited and very competitive.
Paul Gonzalez, a financial aid advisor at
Barnard College, a selective women’s college in
Manhattan, said the school has only two available scholarships for undocumented students.
“It depends on the people and who they want to
give their donations to. If they want to give their
donations to only undocumented students, then
we will save that money for that purpose. As of
now, this is all that we have,” Gonzalez said. In
the absence of aid, most undocumented high
(continued on page 2)
FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
(continued from page 1)
targets mostly Latinos and Muslims, regardless
of citizenship status.
Organizations like The Nativist helped to
defeat the Dream Act. Many people believe
that giving undocumented immigrants federal
financial aid would be unfair to tax payers who
are legally working in the country. However,
there are many immigrants who pay taxes and
they’re still not receiving the same advantages
as other tax-paying citizens.
“My parents pay taxes annually and I still
can’t get financial aid,” Casedo said. Many
undocumented students like Casedo are still
waiting to see any change that might give
them some hope or chance to pursue the
American dream.
“It’s like I’ve been waiting forever for
these changes, but I know that I’m trying
my best in school and just doing what I
can do. I won’t let this one problem stop
me,” Casedo said. “I have to keep going
and continue to aim for my goals.”
Dr.Palresha.com
By: Kimberley Banjoko
R
ecent studies in suicidology all point
to the fact that suicide is linked genetically. Suicide rates have been climbing at
an alarming rate, with 109 out of every 1,000
Americans successfully acting on suicide.
The earliest reputable attempt of examining
genes to assess suicide ideology was that of
the Ottawa Royal Hospital almost two decades ago. These early suicidiologists saw
that some families followed a pattern that led them into suicide, thus
initiating a 10-year study of individuals who were at high risk.
The result of Royal Ottawa Hospital’s team of psychiatrists was the
discovery of a potential genetic mutation that directly increases the risk
of an individual committing suicide.
The psychiatrists concluded that suicide risk
is drastically higher in those who possess a
genetic mutation in the DNA encoding of
the serotonin 2A receptor, a chemical which
helps transmit mood related messages.
Dr. Pavel Hrdina, head psychiatrist of
the experiment, told Reuters “People may be
biologically predisposed to suicidal thoughts
and that suicide, so often stigmatized, is
hardly a character flaw.” Hrdina emphasized
research’s conclusion was that the “sample
of non-suicidal depressives [in the experiment] was small and a statistical test does
not find a significant difference between the
two groups in this percentage.”
Psychiatrist Dr. Manuel Lopez-Leon, relatively familiar with studies similar to that
of Ottawa Royal Hospital, strongly believes
in the genetic linkage of suicidal actions and
thoughts. “It’s a fact that depression runs in
families. We do know that there are genes
involved; genetic transmission is obvious.”
Lopez-Leon blames serotonin imbalance
and defective serotonin receptors for suicide, which can be embedded in a person’s
gene pool. “If there is no genetic history,
then I’m a bit skeptical.”
However, all the experiments involving
genetics and suicide have a potent connection to the neurotransmitter serotonin. The
controversy lies in the fact that serotonin has
yet to be proven as the sole cause of suicide,
even though serotonin has a great role the
modulation of mood, anger, sleep, appetite,
and sexuality.
Possession of this kind of information
does serve useful to experts treating
suicide. “We’re about 50 years from
genetic intervention in suicidal patients. We don’t know the genes.
We need to find out the exact genes
and insert genetic material with the
right codes,” said Lopez-Leon.
“The good news is that there
Suicide Gene - Invivohen Therapeutics
is 90% success in treatment; the
and environmentally,” he said in support of highest treatment success rate than all other
the claim that genes are a factor, but not the medical illnesses,” said Lopez-Leon.
It is undeniable that scientists are apsole reason. David-Lang argues that “people
blame suicide for a host of reasons,” quickly proaching a more effective way to treat
suicide through genealogy; however some
dismissing the scientific research results.
Scientist John FitzGerald also dismisses obstacles make it difficult for scientists to
the experiment because he believes that the advance. “I think it’s hard to develop remedia has been “glossing over the facts and search protocol due to ethical implications.
concentrating instead on sensational specu- We cannot let people go untreated to see if
lation.” FitzGerald’s rationale against the they will commit suicide,” he said.
the greatness of this
breakthrough, stating
that a suicide test could
be performed to determine an individual’s
risk.
Many experts argued the validity of the
experiment, stating that
there are more complex
factors that combine to
form a suicidal thought,
rather than one gene
mutation. A conclusion
of the experiment was
that suicide is independent of outside factors
and is induced solely due
to this genetic mutation that triggers depression and other mood-related disorders.
Psychologist Timothy David-Lang, who
works at Baccalaureate High School in
Queens and has worked with suicidal families, argues that this gene is not the only factor regarding the question of familial suicide.
“People are products of families, genetically
2 • FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
By: Octaviar Latty
A
ugust 26, 2007 not only marked the
end of the first season of MTV’s
“Making the Band 4,” but the beginning of a
new journey for five young men also known
as Day 26. From that day on, the newly created R&B group has kept fans intrigued with
their impeccable voices and engaging personalities.
They recently ended a European tour,
but Day 26 hasn’t stopped working just yet.
After connecting with millions of fans from
Germany to London during sold out performances, performing a selection of songs
from their self-titled debut album, Day 26
headed back to the studio to work on their
second CD. They are also performing in the
United States and recently released a new
song for Christmas.
First Take talked to the quintet in October in New York City, as they attended the
live finale for the third season of “Making the
Band 4.” Brian Andrews, Robert Curry, Michael McCluney, Qwanell Mosley and Willie
Taylor—who are mostly in their 20’s, with the
exception of Mosley, who is 19—reflected on
their experiences since
coming into
the music
i n d u s t r y.
From long
days of work
to non-stop
training for
the job, they
have undergone a transformation that at first seemed so
surreal; it has definitely been life-changing.
“Everything I wanted to do is coming to
me. Just seeing everything come to life, it
feels like I’m dreaming almost, like it’s not
even real,” says Curry.
“You can go from a regular person to
being a superstar,” adds McCluney. “I used
to love to shop and I can’t even do that anymore.”
Being on reality television has enabled
the world to view the development of Day
26. Constantly being watched by millions
hasn’t stopped the group from working hard
_ it’s has actually motivated them to work
even harder to show everyone their full potential.
“Some people don’t take us seriously be-
cause we are
a reality TV
group, but if
we weren’t
on TV we
would have
e ve ntu a l ly
gained respect
because we are
all talented
and hardworking,” declares Mosley. “If you want it
bad enough you’ll do whatever it takes to be
where you want to be.”
Every member of Day 26 has come from
different upbringings and life experiences,
which has greatly contributed to how well
they are able to work together as a group.
Their differences have also brought them
closer. To signify their commitment to Day
26, all the members had a Day 26 tattoo
done to let people know that the group will
always be a part of them.
The sacrifice each of them has made to
be on the show and to become a part of the
group has made them feel like all their hard
work has paid off; it has also given them
something to be proud of. Dealing with
pressure from rap mogul and boss Sean
“Diddy” Combs, who created Day 26, is another thing they have come to understand
and respect.
“Everything Diddy does is for a reason
to teach you a lesson,” says Mosley. “Sean
Combs doesn’t accept anything less than
greatness.” In addition to Combs, there was
always a team behind Day 26 with full support. These people include Michael Bivins
(artist development); Bryan-Michael Cox;
Slam; Ankh Ra (vocal coach); and dance choreographers Laurie Ann Gibson and Jamal
Sims. Since the formation of the group, the
men have taken everything they’ve learned
from these people to greater heights. Even
with slight differences that were apparent
between the group Gibson, they claim that
she will always be working with the group.
For their first album, Day 26 partnered
with several producers and songwriters, including Mario Winans, Cox, Michael Jones,
Jim Beans, Shannon Jones and Mary Brown.
The members of Day 26 have song writing
experience as well, which will come into
MTV TRL DAY 26
SUICIDE: IT’S IN THE GENES
DAY26
play on their second album. Their main focus is their album that’s out right now, but
this hasn’t limited them from thinking about
other things. Curry and Mosley are planning to design
their own clothing line for men
and
women.
Andrews plans
put his producing skills to use.
America will
have another chance to see where the group
will go next on the next season of “Making
the Band 4.” In a few years, the group envisions themselves on their sixth album and
still rocking shows. As for right now, they
are getting a chance to relax and become
more of a family as they steadily work together.
Day 26 is not the first group to get their
start from a reality television show. Groups
such as Da Band from “Making the Band
(Season One)” as well as Fatty Koo from
the BET show “Blowin Up: Fatty Koo” experienced a short-lived success. But Day 26
holds high hopes of being remembered as a
top band. “We can’t stop and we won’t stop,”
McCluney says.
Above his bed, McCluney keeps a photo
of the group with Gibson. Ironically, this
photograph was taken when the guys were
just contestants, and found after the band
was put together. Day 26 feels that this picture symbolizes their calling as a group.
Since being signed to Combs’ Bad Boy label, their achievements have shown a great
deal about their potential and the name they
have made for themselves thus far.
“It’s truly a blessing to see our dreams
come into reality,” Mosley says. Taylor adds:
“We will continue to work together as brothers to keep our dream alive.”
FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP • 3
SILENT FAME:
RIHANNA
A
FASHION
ICON
By: Tyra Francis
THE PEN BEHIND THE ARTIST
K
anye West, Aretha Franklin, John
Legend, Deborah Cox, Estelle, ’N
Sync, Beyonce, Usher … the list goes on
and on. These are just a few of the many artists that we know and love. While we may
love their personalities, we also love them
because of the songs they sing—tunes that
seem to express the emotions we are feeling, whether it’s happiness, sadness, love or
anger.
But have you ever wondered how those
songs came to be? Often, the people behind
those songs are not the artists themselves,
but other songwriters. They may not be famous, but they know what it takes to make
songs with universal appeal.
W
hen Kelis hit the scene a few
years back with an updated ‘80’s
inspired symmetrical bob, it seemed as if all
of the ladies in New York City had a hair
epiphany and wanted to look like her.
But now women have a new muse: Rihanna. Ever since the top-selling singer cut
her luxurious locks and hit the scene with
a magnificent medium bob, she reignited
hair flavor once again! Now, she’s sassy and
short and you can hardly find a long-haired
sister in sight. Women are now taking it all
off and declaring their fashion style with
their bold and beautiful domes.
But Rihanna’s influence on fashion
goes beyond her short ‘do. She has become
a style icon thanks to her ever-changing
looks. Some days, she’s pretty in pink lipstick, other days she sports a chic wet red
lip color. On stage, she might sport the look
of a sexy Goth diva, but at other times, she
may rock a casual but sporty look. And she
can also look the part of a glamour queen.
She has become a trend setter for teens
white shirt, brown hat and a lovely belt
around her waist to top off this look. But
she keeps from looking too mature by
wearing youthful and mild colors and chic
flats. She can also make walking in six-inch
heels look effortless. She is a chameleon.
Rihanna has expressed a desire to capitalize on her role as a fashion queen with
her own fashion line. Earlier this year, she
teamed up with H&M and celebrities like
Timbaland and Good Charlotte for “Fashion Against AIDS.” The clothing collection,
which Rihanna had a hand in designing,
was to raise awareness about the HIV\
AIDS crisis.
“This young lady to me by far is one out
of the many talented young artists out here.
She’s a wonderful role model and the way
she portrays herself is not in a sluttish way.
It’s rather acceptable,” said Tameesha Dickens, a 36-year-old makeup artist for MAC.
“The high shoes, her makeup, her body,
her different attires are absolutely marvelous. If I was young again I would have to
definitely have her as my idol. It seems as if
she’s the new ‘it’ thing for the younger upcoming generation.”
Rihanna @catwalk.com
4 • FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
Bliss, who is a consultant for the Songwriters Hall of Fame, says too many people
today try and call themselves a songwriter
when they only contributed a couple of
lines. He wishes true songwriters would
not only get more appreciation, but more
recognition. Bliss, who says he has been
passionate about music since he was a teen,
said songwriters should be included as part
of a search when fans are researching music
to purchase digitally.
King Pettite is an aspiring songwriter
who hopes to be as successful as Bliss and
Springsteen one day. In Pettite’s view, it’s the
songwriter who is the key to making a hit
song.
“It is the people and what they go
through which gives you the light to write a
song that everyone other than the artist can
relate to, can understand,” he said.
For both Bliss and Springsteen, it’s the
joy of creating that special song that someone might play at their wedding, or the inspirational tune that lifts a person’s spirit,
that makes them want to continue to write
songs, not the money or a chance at fame.
“Being a songwriter is a great job, but
there are some minor complications,” said
Bliss.
While there are songwriters like NeYo (who writes most of his own songs and
wrote songs like Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable”
and Rihanna’s “Take a Bow”) who go on to
be come top-selling artists, many songwriters remain out of the limelight. They are the
pen behind the artist. And although they
may deserve more attention from the public, both say they are satisfied knowing that
they have written songs that will be cherished for years to come.
TWEAKING THEIR TUNE
By: Edwina J. Bien-Aime
NEYO Photo by Aishah K. White
First Take spoke
to two accomplished songwriters
and an aspiring one
about what it takes
to create songs so
memorable they
stay with you for a
lifetime.
Devo Springsteen is a Grammywinning
songwriter who has
penned tunes for
Kanye West and
John Legend. He
says the building
blocks of a great song include “simple, honest, and original references” so people can
relate to it. He also said he tries to tailor a
song’s themes to the audience that will hear
it, and often draws from his own experiences to make a personal connection with
the listener.
Springsteen, also known as Devo Harris, started composing songs in 2002. His
roommate was in a band and started writing songs, and Springsteen started collaborating with his friend.
He wrote songs for John Legend, including “Stereo,” and has also written for
other artists including Estelle and Aretha
Franklin.
Springsteen even won a Grammy award
in 2006 for best rap song for West’s hit “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.”
But just because Springsteen is a proven
hitmaker doesn’t mean he creates gems all
the time. He told First Take: “If you write
ten songs and out of the ten only one of
them is good, you’re doing crazy good.”
Even though he wrote one of West’s
top hits, he’s still not a household name.
Springsteen says he has no regrets about
becoming a songwriter, but he may not be
writing songs forever.
Peter Bliss is another top songwriter. His
songs have been recorded by artists ranging
from Barbara Streisand to ‘N Sync. When
asked about the key to writing great songs,
Bliss said: “The melody and song lyrics are
the common thread that joins a diverse
universe of popular music.”
In the 2008-2009 school year, Knights are continuously shining through
their Armor of Music at Uniondale High School since the acquisition of
it’s renewed auditorium/Music department.
Newsday (3)
Devo Springsteen/Harris (3)
By: E’Moni Tool
and the grown and sexy.
“Rihanna has the complete package.
Her style, her face, her body, everything
about her is just bananas!” says admirer
Sage Christian, 17. “She has influenced almost every chick, including me. I just adore
her. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking, ‘How would Rihanna wear this outfit
if she had it?’”
Rihanna, 20, didn’t always have this
kind of influence on the masses. When the
Barbados-born singer (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty) made her debut in 2005, she had
honey-brown long hair and sported a style
similar to Beyonce.
But Rihanna soon learned she would
stand out with her own identity. So she
switched up both her music and fashion
style.
Musically, she abandoned her urban,
R&B slant for a sound that was more rockpop. Her unique sound has helped her win
a Grammys, as well as score numerous hits,
including “Disturbia,” “Umbrella,” “Take a
Bow” and “Live Your Life.” She has become
one of the biggest stars of this decade.
But she has also become as well known
for her look. Cutting her hair was a bold
move and showed she was more interested
in being a fashion leader than a follower. Her
striking model looks have also made her a
favorite, and she’s gotten cosmetics deals and
been on the cover of numerous magazines.
“I mean this girl has the body of a goddess, face of an angel and she’s just extremely swagger-licious. Now who wouldn’t want
to be in her shoes? She has it all,” said 15year-old Melissa Nembhard.
As far as her style, she successfully pairs
indie and vintage pieces with her favorite
accessories. Accessories are a must for Rihanna. Rihanna can sport a high­­—waisted,
wide leg dark denim jeans jumper with a
I
t’s been less than a year since
the newly renovated music department of Uniondale High School
in Long Island has been completed.
The new features include a new
sound booth and a new carpet in
the band room. All this was made
(continued on page 6)
FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP • 5
possible with the community’s commitment, with the residents voting on a bond
referendum to fund the roughly $8 million
renovation.
“The stature of the music department
influenced the final decision to remake not
only the auditorium, but the music lobby
and the department of Northern Parkway
Elementary schools,” said Mr. Austin, Music and art director of the school.
The music department wasn’t “content
with just a beautiful looking place…(they
also) wanted to sound better too,” he said.
So, they hired a sound engineer and installed a lighting booth.
Austin said that in the past, the auditorium “reduced the ability of [the] audience to receive [the caliber of performers].”
This “makes us feel better about ourselves,”
he said.
One cannot deny the reputation of the
Uniondale Knights. Their musical achievements have helped the department flourish
and given the school district some celebrity. They have excelled in competitions in
Canada and performed in
national parades for Cablevision.
Ashleigh Hargraves, a
junior marching Knight at
Uniondale High and a member of the concert band, has
played the flute since the
third grade. Hargraves recalled that the band room
had been “crowded, messy,
unorganized [and] hard to
get used to.”
Instruments were in a
crowded corner and students
had to get their music from
shelves in the hallway. “This
year, we have separate spacious rooms for each,” said
Hargraves, who is in awe of
the new auditorium. “I felt
very proud and blessed to be
a part of that,” she said. Kimberly Jordan, a senior violinist who has been in orchestra
since the fourth grade, said: “The audito-
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
who is 22 years old.
“It didn’t knock me
out. I am getting
back in the game.”
Lewis was among
a growing number
of student athletes
who refuse to let injuries, in some cases
severe trauma, keep
them on the bench.
And they’re willing
to take such risks
even if they’re aware
that their chances
of becoming a professional baller are
slim to none.
“Injuries happen
regardless. You have
to play hard but
with caution too,”
said Lewis, who no
longer plays football, which he describes as barbaric. “Most
importantly, be safe.” Live Science Health in
2006 ranked football as one of the top three
most dangerous sports in the U.S. The scope
of injury in high school sports was underscored by the untimely death of 16-year-old
Ryne Dougherty, a junior linebacker from
Montclair High School in New Jersey .
PLAYERS IGNORE INJURIES
TO PLAY
By: Dina Exil
D
uring his sophomore year of high
school, Dwayne Lewis suffered a
mild concussion playing football after he
was grabbed from behind and hit his head
on the turf. Determined to stay in the game,
he convinced his coach to let him play in the
final twenty minutes of the game.
“You know when you get that urge. It’s
like adrenaline was rushing,” said Lewis,
6 • FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
Hackensack University Medical Center, said
players who suffer concussions should be
tested in real conditions before returning to
the field.
“You spring them, you get their heart rate
up and you see if they have any nausea, headache, vomiting,” said Bell in a interview with
WABC-TV about the Dougherty tragedy.
According to the Journal of the American
Medical Association, nearly 1 million students participate in football every year and
nearly 62,000 players get concussions annually. A study by the American Journal of
Sports Medicine in 2007 said head injuries,
while rare, were most common among high
school players.
Thompson said the only reason he puts
himself through the pain is because he loves
the sport more than anything else. As such,
he was willing to do whatever it took to make
the team. For instance, he endured two weeks
of football camp and practiced three times a
day. Thompson said 75% of his life was committed to football and 25% was dedicated
to school and family. Stanley Joshua who is
19 years old and a senior at Midwood High
School, said his mother feared him playing
FORMER WNBA STAR
FINDS A NEW LIFE
rium is going to help us get [to] where we
want to be”.
He was hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage during one of his football games, but
was cleared to play in the next game before
dying from the injury on Oct. 15.
According to the New Jersey daily The
Record, Dougherty wasn’t the only death related to high school football this year. In August, 17-year-old Douglas Morales died days
after collapsing from a tackle during practice and Sean Fisher, a junior player from
Waldwick, died from an undetected heart
ailment.
“When an injury happens they
work hard to get back to normal,” said Laino
Vincent, a football coach from Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Once (they’re) normal, we test the limits to see how far they can go. It’s like rehab.”
However, high school football coaches say
the final word is made by the doctors, trainers and the parents. And, although bumps
and bruises may happen, the players know
what they’re getting themselves into.
Indeed, receiver and quarterback Myjahid Thompson was supposed to be out for
about a month to heal a spine and neck injury. But, Thompson worked extra hard just
to get back into a game the following week.
“I wouldn’t let them keep me out for any
longer because I felt like I had to prove something to myself,” he said. “So I had to play.”
Dr. Kameno Bell, a brain trauma specialist for the New York Giants and a doctor at
By: Tiayana Logan
Katasha Artis formerly of WNBA’s Charlotte Sting
(continued from page 5)
I
n Katasha Artis’ world, failure is not
an option. The eldest of two sisters, she
had one dream in life­­­­—to be successful.
The Brooklyn native found that success
as a professional basketball player for the
WNBA. Playing basketball wasn’t a lifelong
dream; Artis didn’t like the game as a child.
But at 14, she decided to play the sport and
fell in love with it, and later played college
ball for Northeastern University.
“She began playing ball in high school
and in four years she earned a scholarship
at the No. 1 team in college basketball at
the time,” says former teammate and friend,
Kendra Nelson. “That shows that she is persistent, a hard worker, motivated and passionate.”
Nelson says her friend took a bus to
New York City to try out for
the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting.
Artis was chosen out of 300
women to play for the team.
What made her stand out was
her drive, her vision, and her
technique. From the moment
the Sting called to inform her
that she would be on the team,
her life changed.
She traveled, and was able
to experience new things: Her
mind was open to another
world outside of what she
knew. Artis had a great journey as a ball player,
but one day it all came to an untimely end.
She was a passenger in a car with
two of her teammates, heading to
watch a basketball game on a rainy,
gloomy night. The car dipped on
the highway and crashed. What was
amazing to Artis was that everyone
in the car was fine except her. She
suffered a severe knee injury. In that moment she wasn’t thinking about anything: “It
was crazy; I was just trying to hold on for my
life,” she says. But later, she began to worry
that she had lost one of the most important
things in her life— basketball.
Her injury did indeed end her playing
career. It was a blow that stings even to this
football again after he broke his right ankle
during football camp more than three years
ago. “She was like this time it’s only your foot,
but later on it could be something else, something worse. And, I will not sit by your bed if
that does happen,” said Joshua. He noted that
some athletes love the game so much they
usually don’t admit they’re injured.
Gazzillo Edward, the varsity football
coach for Grand Street Campus High School
in Brooklyn, says “It’s a pride thing. They
signed up to play football. They quickly
learn everything that comes with it, including the injuries.”
“They work hard all week to...play in the
game and they want that hard work to pay
off. If a kid gets whacked really hard, sometimes he is a little more hesitant to get back
in there,” Edward said.
day. “Not being able to play ball is still very
hard for me,” says Artis. “I was depressed
most of the time. Playing basketball was all I
thought I could do. I am intelligent but never
knew anything else besides basketball. Now
I know that I can be a teacher, because mentally I can still play.”
She decided to use her formidable basketball talents to teach others. She now coaches
at Kingsborough College and also works at
a federal halfway house as a warden. Just
as she did in her career as a player, she still
practices to prepare herself for any situation
or goals she has to reach. She is very competitive, and all the lessons she learned she
transferred over to her new career.
Although she can’t play professional ball,
she is still Katasha Artis. She is a big fan of
success, believes that in everything you do
you must go hard, because someone will always try to outdo you.
One of her former players, Williesha Spencer, hailed Artis as a
coach and a mentor. “I feel that she
is a positive, straight-forward coach
and she has a lot of experience and
motivation to push me as well as
my team,” she says. Spencer also
says Artis has changed her outlook
on life.
“I learned that you don’t always
have to be cocky, but you have to humble
yourself, because life is short and at any given moment anything can happen,” she says.
“She is a very down-to-earth coach and even
though she can’t play ball anymore she plays
with her heart and through us.”
Nelson, who also coaches with Artis, says
(continued on page 8)
FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP • 7
(continued from page 7)
the injury definitely changed Artis. “She has
to look at things in a different perspective.
She has great experience and knowledge of
the game,” she says. “Her best qualities are
education, teaching and evaluation situa-
tions and people.” Now as a boss, coach,
and role model, Artis believes that even if
it seems as though you were meant to do
something, God has a plan, and you should
never take anything for granted. She also believes that having a passion for something
doesn’t mean that it should consume your
BEHIND THE SCENES
Photos provided by Leila Brown (3)
WITH REGIS AND KELLY
T
he studio is well lit, yet the small set
is somewhat lively with crew members and producers bustling around preparing for a fast paced hour of “Live with
Regis and Kelly.”
At a glance, the television show is just
like your average morning talk show. But,
the program has been running longer than
any other talk show on television. And, af-
8 • FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
THE iPHONE 3G vs. THE G1
By: Marlon Brown
By: Leila Brown
ways say it’s better than a real job,” said Michael Gelman, executive producer of the
show.
What you don’t see on camera is Gelman
sitting off to the side with blank cue cards to
write down on-the-spot directions for the
hosts. At the same time, Gelman controls
when the audience is allowed to applaud
and is responsible for making sure the show
runs smoothly every day. While the show
is called “Live With Regis and Kelly,” it isn’t
live every day. In fact, the audience had to
wait for Philbin and Ripa to change their
clothes after the live taping so they could
tape a piece for an upcoming episode.
“We’re always working most heavily on
tomorrow’s show, but you’re really working
on thousands of things at once,” said Gelman.
Gelman is also in charge of choosing
which celebrities make the show, which has
a crew of about 15 or 20 people who are doing the job that can require up to 300 people
on other shows.
Both Gelman and Philbin gave advice
to a young high school student. Gelman’s
was simple: Know what you want to do and
get internships to close the gap of not being hired right out of college because of no
experience.
“The G1, better than the iPhone?”
That’s something many Americans are
asking today.
T
he iPhone is considered to be the
number one cell phone/computer/
MP3 player on the market, but since the
new Google phone (or the G1) was created, people are beginning to have second
thoughts.
The iPhone has quite a large list of features that most phones lack. Around the
time when the iPhone was invented, it was
the first phone to have a fully functioning
touch screen for clicking, scrolling up and
down and multiple other commands. You
can also use it to do all the things you would
do on a computer, like go online, check your
email, YouTube, or any other Web sites you
enjoy to use. Lastly, the iPhone is equipped
automatically with iTunes. It can be used as
an iPod, and the iPhone has a very sleek,
attractive shape to it.
But the iPhone does have defects. The
iPhone has been known to be hacked and
infected with viruses that can cause anything from a feature breakdown to a total
shut down. Given that the new iPhone 3G
has been upgraded from the first model of
iPhones, those unfortunate virus infections
have been happening less frequently.
The G1, on the other hand, has not yet
been known to have viruses. Even though
the G1 lacks good looks, it has more physical features than the iPhone. These features
include the flip-open to keyboard and the
track ball. The touch screen, critics say, is
less sensitive than the iPhone 3G’s, therefore, making it easier to use and less prone
to make mistakes.
As for the similarities, both phones are
equipped with Wi-Fi, 3G, EDGE, GPS, and
Accelerometer. And, both phones lack stereo Bluetooth and video recording.
Tia, a fan of the iPhone said she likes
the camera “because it takes clear vivid pictures and the screen is large so the display
is great.”
Her least favorite feature is not being
able to forward text messages. “You don’t receive the pix messages, you must go online
in order to view pix messages,” she said.
THE CHANGE CANDIDATE IS
VICTORIOUS
By: Nadya Stevens and Felicia Romain
“ Rosa sat so Martin could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run”
I
llinois Senator Barack Obama was
elected as the 44th president of the
United States.
As the country’s first Black Presidentelect, some see his victory as a renaissance
for African Americans, unity for all
races and break from racism.
“He is the best candidate to move
the country forward,” said Elinor Tatum, the publisher and editor-in- chief
of the New York Amsterdam News.
(continued on page 9)
FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP • 9
Barack Obama Cover Photo - Rolling Stones March 2008 issue
ter two decades of success, “Live with Regis
and Kelly” isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
“It’s live and spontaneous. There are no
writers on the show. It’s all people talking to
each other and I don’t think the audience is
used to that on television with everything
being scripted,” said Regis Philbin, who has
co-hosted the show since it premiered 25
years ago.
Anyone who steps inside Philbin’s office would see that he has clearly been there
awhile. The walls are covered with sports
memorabilia, pictures of family and friends
and there is a cardboard cut out of Dean
Martin in the corner of the office.
Philbin and Kelly Ripa seem completely unfazed by their celebrity. Some would
think that their warm and happy television
personalities would disappear once the
cameras stopped rolling. That is far from
the truth. During commercial breaks, both
Philbin and Ripa chatted with the audience,
talking about their families. Kelly spoke
avidly of her husband and of her “scheme”
to buy the green ruffle top she wore on the
show that morning.
The live studio audience is actually a
quarter of the
size of what it
looks like on television. Within
the hour, every
segment has to
stick to a certain
time and there
is no room for
error. It sounds
like a high pressure job, but the
people actually
doing it seem to
handle the pressure with ease.
“It’s
hard
work, but I al-
life. In the end all you have is yourself and
that is something you should love.
She brings a passion to the room and her
voice is filled with warmth. Despite being
unable to live out her dream as a professional basketball player, Artis has never stopped
preparing for a positive outcome.
(continued from page 10)
During his presidency, she looks forward to
seeing the faces of the young people knowing that they have an African American
president and they can do anything. “I was
very happy, I didn’t think it was real,” said
Tatum.
“I didn’t believe what people were saying because that fact that he was Black had
nothing to do with it. He’s an intelligent
person with people who back him up,” said
a high school English teacher.
Citizens of Obama’s ancestral home Kenya, waited for the results anxiously. Kids
in Indonesia jumped up and down with joy
when the results came in.
Eduardo Cordero, a student at Robert F.
Kennedy Community High School, said: “I
didn’t cry. I felt like I was going to. I just got
chills.”
“All of a sudden, the students that I teach
have a real world role model,” said a John
Jay High School English teacher. “I paid
special attention to his acceptance speech.
I was blown away! It seemed like Obama
was carrying the weight of the world on his
shoulders!”
Some people think that this election
showed that the people of America have
pride in their country. People that never
voted a day in their life voted on November
4th. “People who I didn’t even think could
ever have pride in their country had pride.
It feels like something cool to be political,”
said Rob Andrews, a high school English
teacher.
The election brought tears to people’s eyes
the day Obama was elected president.
“From Times Square, where I was, across
the seas to Beijing, everyone was happy for
the same reason. It goes to show, that we all
wanted the best for each other, a new hope
and a possibility of change,” said a high
school science teacher. Obama won 364
electoral votes compared to opponent John
JOURNALISM WORKSHOP STUDENTS
PRESS
PRESS
PRESS
PRESS
CYNDI YAHYA
KIMBERLEY BANJOKO
E’MONI TOOL
FELICIA ROMAIN
PRESS
PRESS
PRESS
PRESS
TIAYANA LOGAN
NADYA STEVENS
LEILA BROWN
OCTAVIAR LATTY
PRESS
PRESS
PRESS
MARLON BROWN
DINA EXIL
EDWINA BIEN-AIME
2008
McCain’s 162.
Monica Arriola, a first time voter, said: “I
love his point of views of the economy.”
Obama has an Ivy League education,
graduating from Columbia University and
Harvard Law School. He was Harvard’s first
Black president of it’s Law Review. However, many think this country is still black and
white. Therefore, Obama will have many issues during his presidency.
“I noticed that a lot of people were voting
for him just because of his skin color. Those
people think that he is just going to help
his race,” said Chamaigne Stone, a senior
from Montclair High School. “When they
see that he is gonna try and do what’s best
for the country and not just the Black race,
then there going to (criticize) him about
making empty promises.”
Since Obama’s announced his candidacy on February 7th, 2007, issues about
race and religion have always been brought
to light. Some where concerned he was
a Muslim because of his name but he is a
Christian. “I am happy that he is elected be-
WORKSHOP COORDINATING STAFF
Program Director Angela Pruitt
Co-Coordinator Nekesa Moody
Broadcast Director Catherine McKenzie
Art Director Jadalia Britto
Web Producer Malik Singleton
Videographer Mesfin Fekadu
CO-SPONSORED BY LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY (BROOKLYN CAMPUS)
10 • FALL 2008 NYABJ STUDENT JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
2008
cause he is African American and Caucasian. It is hard for some of us to admit it,
but we do live in two different worlds. We
have been getting the benefits for one world
since 1789. Now that Obama is elected we
are getting the best of both worlds,” said
Briana Marin, a freshman at Young Women
Leadership High School.
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE NEW YORK
ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
President Gary Anthony Ramsey
Vice President Print Zachary R. Dowdy
Vice President Broadcast Catherine McKenzie
Secretary Dante Higgins
Treasurer Curtis Simmons
Parliamentarian Robert S. Anthony
The New York Association of Black Journalists Student Journalism Workshop
CO-SPONSORED BY LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY (BROOKLYN CAMPUS)