JRN 380 - Advanced Editing & Presentation / Web

Wrap-up Post: The Semester in Review

2011-05-10T08:35:00.004-04:00

Foremost, I want to say that with each class that I take, my appreciation and respect for this university's journalism school grows. This is undoubtedly a world class program with more then capable professors. The quality of the program however, commands equally high quality work form its students. Such work takes time, dedication and sacrifice to create.

I did not sacrifice sufficiently, and I spent the last few weeks of class wondering why I could not motivate myself to do so. After attending the journalism banquet last week and hearing Andrew Morse of ABC News Digital speak about a passion for journalism that he just seemed to know we all shared, it hit me. The passion was not there for me, and that was hard to accept.

The effort that I saw some of my classmates put into their projects was astounding. They, like me, had jobs and other responsibilities to take care of but still, they made it work. It was their love of the art, of the discipline of journalism that allowed them to do so. I make no excuses for myself now, though I often did so throughout the semester.

Class itself was difficult yes, but all of the challenges were necessary. There is no growth without challenge. With regard to advanced editing techniques, I feel as though a given student learned as much as he or she wanted to. I never heard of Wasim refusing to delve into a particular aspect of editing with a student. The cameras should be taught slower yes, but you do learn a lot in the field. In some ways, going out and shooting is an easier way to learn than to be walked through camera functions. After this class, I feel confident that I can pick up any DSLR and figure out how to use it, indicating I've been taught to understand the camera functions, not just memorize them on a particular model. Professor Ahmad was VERY accessible, perhaps more so than any professor I have had class with in all of my college career.

My classmates have produced incredible work, pieces that I am so proud of that I show them to people outside of the class. The Journalism School is doing a good thing here and I have the utmost respect for it. That being said, I face the reality that I do not want to be a career journalist. The video editing and reporting skills honed in class however, will always serve me well, they are applicable to many different fields, Journalism is a discipline of personal sacrifice and dedication. If anything, I have come to admire the character of those who do journalism with all of their hearts, and love their craft.

JRN 380 - Final Thoughts

2011-05-10T04:23:00.020-04:00

As the 2011 Spring semester comes to a close, I am able to look back on this course as one of both turmoil and triumph. The road to the final class was one of uncertainty and despair, but I feel that through the fire and flames I prevailed, and came out a better video journalist.

More or less, the class felt like an extension of JRN 320 - which I thought to be both a good and bad thing. At times, the lectures would expand on foundations and principles obtained through 320, while at others, they would simply rehash lessons already learned. Truth be told, it can be argued that these lectures are of such importance that they should be gone over more than once.

As previously mentioned, I feel that 380 has left me a better video journalist. However, such an improvement truly came from the hands-on part of the class. The three hours I spent in the newsroom each Tuesday morning acted more as exercises in how to get away with being on Facebook while your professor is three feet away from you (joking). In all reality, I enjoyed fiddling with Final Cut Pro and digging through the archives of Mediastorm and such, but as with many of my other journalism classes, my learning experiences came from reporting/interviewing/etc.

After 320, I felt the video side of journalism lightly tugging at my collar. But as I come to the end of 380, I find myself acknowledging, and embracing, the fact that this light tug has turned into a barbarous pull.

wrap up post

2011-05-10T01:42:00.003-04:00

For me, JRN 380 was a great opportunity to continue what I just learned in 320. Digital media is becoming more prominent as our years in school go by and I think the fact we are given the opportunity to learn how to be a part of it is great. I appreciate the sequence of the classes because it helps me learn the skills and then use them in 2 consecutive semesters so that they actually stick with me. And I liked that we learned even more about editing video, such as color correction, which is a bit more advanced than what we had learned previously. The one thing about the class that was odd for me to adjust to was that it was once a week. I think that any more class time than that would be unnecessary, but it was just a weird adjust for me.

As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't change anything. I think it would be great to get guest speakers in class throughout the semester just as a way of mixing up the lectures and what we are learning about. Aside from that, I appreciated the experience and love the small classes that the journalism school allows us to have across the board.

The Wrap-up

2011-05-09T21:42:00.004-04:00

I have never understood the need for these type of last class "this is what I learned" type of assignments. It could be 2-3 years before I use any of this stuff or I may never use it. Technologies changes so rapidly that we are always at its mercy.

I spent each and every class, like a tired and battered pugilist on his last legs in the 15th and final round of championship fight, waiting for the final bell. At times the constant watching and critiquing of videos, felt like punishment for a past wrongdoing. Indeed, I was in a journalistic inferno. Video is not my passion.

In a United States of America where only 60 percent of the population has high-speed Internet and 10 percent have no Internet connection at all, I asked, "why bother with High Definition video?" Unlike my classmates I never felt at peace with the Nikon D300s as video tool. Video to me it is like a kryptonite crucifix to a vampire Superman. It is my weakness and something I had to work twice as hard to comprehend.

I never felt the need to film things from attention grabbing angles. I just want to tell stories. Go ahead and call me a fossil or a relic of a forgotten past, but that is what I want to do. But the strange thing is I want my stories to be visible on the Internet in digital form.

But I did learn something from the class and that was how to push myself to do things that I do not want to do. I disliked every moment I held that DSLR. Every step I took through mid-town Manhattan holding the tripod was painful. I kept repeating Bruce Lee's words, "be like water," but adapting was never easy.

I was not happy with my work because I had to concentrate so hard on the video that I never had any fun with the technology. I also forgot about doing what I like to do the most, tell stories.

My final criticism of the class is that it focused too much on the videos of other journalist around the country than it did on the videos of the people in the classroom.

If I regret one thing about the class, it was that I personally did not have the time to go to the instructor for extra help. I had to learn as much as I could from other sources just to get by. I think this course would benefit from a shorter class period and an added lab period to work on the technical aspects of shooting with a DSLR.

I must also add that I did enjoy the constant disagreement about the essence of journalism with Professor Ahmad.

Wrap-Up Post

2011-05-09T19:37:00.001-04:00

Coming into this class, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I had heard that this was not going to be easy (but then again, journalism classes usually aren’t), and I had heard that it wasn’t going to be fun, which frightened me a little bit, because while journalism isn’t easy, I’ve never not had fun while doing it. I think I can say honestly as I leave the class now that no, it isn’t easy, and no it’s not always fun, but it is definitely one hell of a learning experience-and a good one.

I started this semester at what I feel might have been a few disadvantages. For starters, I took 320 a year ago, so I was slightly rusty on some of my online skills I felt I had acquired in that class. I topped that off with not having Wasim for 320, and then not taking any reporting classes at all last semester. Needless to say, I was rusty on my reporting and story-telling skills, and I had no idea what to expect from a professor I never had before, let alone one I had heard was difficult to get good grades with. And then we were introduced to a different camera, one that I had never really used before (I was allowed to use my digital point-and-shoot Nikon Coolpix in both 211 and 320). I honestly sat there thinking there was no way I was going to be able to produce A or B quality work with all these disadvantages stacked against me, and I highly doubted I was going to produce even C quality work. However, despite all this, I think I honestly learned a great deal this semester, not only about online journalism, but about myself as a journalist.

I think one of the most important things I learned in this class specifically (aside from better techniques with shooting and editing), was how to better utilize the help the instructors give us. I’ve never been one who is afraid to ask for help from a professor when I really just don’t get something, but I’m also incredibly stubborn and like to think I know what I’m doing after one lesson, which in the past has not necessarily failed me. I’ve generally been that pretty stubborn person who goes out there and does her work, and still been able to produce at least semi-decent results that garnered me A’s and B’s. But that stubbornness that had me refusing to ask for help in the past was also for courses that are meant more for developing skills originally-as long as I gave it my all in effort, I was doing just fine. This course is different though-we’re expected to take the skills we’ve already accumulated, build on them, improve them, and then produce work that garners even better A’s and B’s. From the beginning, Wasim encouraged us to utilize the help he was willing to give us, but I was too stubborn in the beginning to ask for it, or even think I needed to. After completing the first assignment though, I realized how wrong I was, and made sure to seek him out for some one-on-one time the next time around. I didn’t want to produce another project that wasn’t exactly something I’d be proud to include in my portfolio. This was perhaps the most important thing I learned this semester, and probably the one thing I would really change. I would have asked for help much sooner, and more often. It’s something I definitely plan on doing in future classes.

Overall this experience was one that was nerve-wracking and intense, but also enriching and rewarding. I feel I have truly walked away now with at least a better understanding of how to use the skills I’ve acquired to produce great work, but I can also walk away knowing that I still have a little way to go before I can say I have truly honed my skills. I can walk away saying that I have no idea what Sundays are anymore, because I spent probably eleven of the fifteen that passed this semester all in the newsroom working on my stories, but I can also say that I truly appreciate effort in a way I never did before. I used to think I was always putting 115 percent into everything I did, but in reality, after the amounts of effort I put into just this class this semester, I realized I was probably only putting in 80 percent before. I can walk away saying that in-class critiques of drafts of our work still scare the shit out of me, but I can also say that they are insanely helpful, because constructive criticism and feedback are what really help us improve and truly become better journalists. And finally, I can walk away knowing that I truly gave it my all, and at the end of the day, that’s the best I can ask of myself.

JRN 380: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Online Journalism

2011-05-09T19:23:00.006-04:00

Photo Credit: Wasim Ahmad
Pictured: Some students from JRN 380 looking suspiciously happy after an otherwise tough and taxing semester. (Also pictured is what I presume to be the future crop of 380 students who are currently in 320.)

No matter what grade I end up receiving (an A would be my first choice--if you're reading, Wasim), I will have walked away from JRN 380 not only as a survivor, but as a better videographer.

While we spend much of class learning about various aspects of online journalism including packages and infographics and the like, it would be remiss to say that video doesn't rank supreme. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn't be the only thing.

That being said, the ability to shoot video on the dSLRs was probably one of the best things about this course. As a student journalist, shooting on a Nikon made me feel as though I was on the cusp of cutting edge online journalism--corny, I know, but true nonetheless.

As far as content went, I liked how Wasim tried to continuously push the envelope in terms of getting us to think and shoot creatively--even if that meant lengthy class discussions on what does or does not constitute journalism (I, for one, was a more than active participant in these conversations so I suppose I am more than partly to blame for the duration of these arguments).

But the absolute best thing about this course was the fact that it offered that rare opportunity to think--about how and what we wanted to shoot, how creative or visual we wanted to be, and even pondering about what journalism is to us personally. And that's not something I personally come across in other journalism classes as of late.

As other students mentioned in previous posts, I was extremely lucky to have been familiar with Wasim's teaching style and expectations prior to 380. Having taken JRN 320 with Wasim provided me with the perfect primer for 380. However, I can also see how 380 can be a rude awakening for those unfamiliar with Wasim's particular 'brand' of online journalism (for lack of a better term).

If I had any regrets concerning this course, it would be with the content component of our stories. It's extremely easy to overemphasize drippy visuals when you're shooting on equipment that can make almost any naturally lit situation look luxurious. But what about the story? This class puts a high premium on style and as a result, the journalism inevitably suffers.

Did the course prepare me with the diverse set of skills I need to pursue a career in the online field? Absolutely. Did I feel as though I produced pieces that I cared about? More or less, yes. And in the end, that's what really matters.

Wrapping It Up

2011-05-09T18:25:00.010-04:00

I came into JRN 380 seeking glory. There was Moses music playing in the head as I walked in the newsroom for the first time this semester. I squinted at the brightness coming from the ceiling lights, but I took my seat ready for a grueling March, April and May.

As classes went on, I didn't expect the lessons on how to use the Nikon camera to be quicker than twitchy the squirrel, or less understandable. That was my one gripe about this class.

For this class, I was the wolf in the video above.

So much attention was paid to getting good video and getting good pictures, but not enough time was spent on how to use the camera in class. We were expected to take notes, while also working with the cameras at the same time. Some of us did, but I didn't.

Still the professor helped out whenever he was asked for it. He took extra time to guide me and another through the camera functions. This should be done at a slower pace during class, but with class one day a week I understand. I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT CLASS WAS ONE DAY A WEEK.

I learned a lot about video, and I liked the videos I made this year compared to the ones I made last year. A guy working in an auto-body shop? Bleh...

I hope I never have to use a Nikon D300s ever again. It sounded like I was popping popcorn behind the camera whenever I was trying to do an interview. You have to be stiller than a statue when holding the microphones connect to that Nikon. I think sound is just as effective as video and if you have bad sound, then your overall piece suffers. I stand by the Nikon D7000. Even on windy days, the audio was like chocolate syrup to my ears...mmmm

I didn't care much for the blog posts, like this one, but it does keep you involved and paying attention to the multimedia world around you. I would have paid more attention to my posts, if I wasn't so stretched for time as I am right now. Right now as you are reading this!

The only thing that went through my mind when I was making my video was: the record button and getting crisp focus. I'm more video-orientated, rather than pictures. I'm not too keen on news writing, when video is involved. My written pieces only provide some additional background about what's going on in the video. The writing in these packages seem more of an afterthought for me, but some of peoples had really good written pieces that in some cases amplified your video. I give you my Andrew Zajic Seal of Approval, you know who you are.

I'm just not a good news writer at the moment, so I don't see the need for writing when I can make video a hundred times better.

Thanks for a great semester. Did I get the glory I sought? Video-wise? Yes. Yes I did.

Wrap Up

2011-05-09T17:08:00.002-04:00

This course has been one of the most frustrating, yet one of the most rewarding journalism courses I have taken thus far. Wasim's attention to detail is a skill that I had not developed strongly enough in myself. For me, a structured teaching environment that forces me to do things a certain way helps me the best, and this class was very structured indeed. In JRN 320 the professor (who shall not be named) did not give feedback nor did he give many guidelines, so I felt as though I came into JRN 380 without much of a foundation. Frustrated at first, I realized this was exactly what I needed. The power points and the energetic lectures helped me get on track.

One criticism I have of the class is that if you do not know what questions to ask then they will not always get answered. Having a disadvantage by not taking JRN 320 with Wasim, I did not know what I did not know...if that makes any sense. Setting up mandatory one-on-one conferences would have opened my eyes to the things I should have focused on and would have helped me develop skills I may not have known I lacked. I relied a lot, perhaps too much, on tips and opinions of my classmates who frequented the newsroom in the late night/early morning hours.

My final criticism is that I feel as though Wasim is capable of teaching more than he did. I mean this is the most complementary way possible. It is obvious that he is extremely talented and informed on all things web, yet I feel as though he held back a bit.

Wrap-Up Post

2011-05-09T11:26:00.002-04:00

Overall this class was a great learning experience and I feel as though I came away knowing more about online journalism than any other class I had taken on it so far. I think I can speak for myself and several others in the class in that having other professors for 320 proved to be a disadvantage coming in. Although we knew about the online medium, we didn't have the knowledge and experience that other students in the class had, meaning that we had a lot of catching up to do to get to the level of everybody else. Because of this, I had to cram a lot of information that the course required in a relatively short amount of time. I'm happy with what I've learned, but I still have a lot of work to do. My only regret is that I hadn't learned this sooner in 320.

The whole experience was overwhelming at times, but very rewarding. There is nothing like seeing your finished work on the blog and knowing that it was you who put it all together - story, video and the photo gallery. I had some challenges along the way, but overall I feel that I did my best and I'm proud of my work. I can pat myself on the back with my successful photos and videos, but I also learned from the videos that didn't go as well as I'd hoped, and make changes and come up with different strategies for future stories that I cover.

Being a broadcast concentration was another challenge that I faced. I intended to take both 370 and 380 so I could broaden my knowledge on both mediums. I wish I had taken the two during different semesters, but having that extra time out in the field didn't hurt for experience. My main issue was that broadcast and online are two completely different animals. For broadcast you need voiceovers, a standup, and pack an entire story into one package, as there's no supplemental story. Online doesn't require standups and voiceovers, but you need lower thirds, text, and the ability to make everything run smoothly from a short video to a written story. After taking this course I can really appreciate the different kinds of work that goes into both concentrations.

I can honestly say that this course frustrated me at times, and there were occasions that I doubted myself and my ability to accomplish all that was expected of me. Now that its over and I've had time to reflect, I can look back and see what went well and what didn't, and remember that its all a learning experience that will help me later on in my career. My last story, for example, required putting myself out there more than I had for any other story. I'm naturally shy, so talking about a sensitive topic to complete strangers was a challenge that I had to overcome. Despite my preconceived notion, New Yorkers weren't as scary as I thought! That aside, this class really did help me learn a lot, and in the end I'm glad I took the course.

Michael's Recovery

2011-05-03T10:30:00.004-04:00

Nationally, the current rate of autism is estimated to be about one in 110 children, according to the Autism Society of America, a national not-for-profit organization. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed Autism a public health emergency.

Michael is an 11-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., who at the age of two-and-a-half was diagnosed with mild to moderate form of Autism and as a child suffered limited speech, had trouble with directions, and was low to middle functioning, according to his mother Christine Heeren.

"At two-and-a-half he was diagnosed with autism at the time it was pretty obvious," said Heeren, a homemaker. Her husband is in the Navy and stationed in Japan.

At the time of his diagnosis, his mother Christine said it was pretty obvious that he had developmental problems. She said from two to three-years-old that it was a disaster and a very stressful time. A problem that is very common amongst families with an Autistic child, according to Kerry Ann Clock, an early education specialist at Just Kids Early Childhood Learning Center, in North Lindenhurst N.Y.

“The social struggles associated with autism can break a parent's heart,” Clock said. “They just want them to be like the other kids in as many ways as possible. It's kind of ironic how parents of typically developing children want nothing more than for their children to be leaders and not follow the crowd. For parents of a child with autism, it's exactly the opposite. They want nothing more than for them to follow the lead of their peers.”

Clock also believes one of the biggest issues for children with autism are language and communication.

“Communication is one of the core deficits of autism, Clock said. “Some children have difficulty expressing themselves, but can understand verbal language very well. Others can express themselves quite well while tasks like answering questions or following verbal commands are very difficult. Most children with autism have difficulty with both receptive and expressive language.”

One month before Michael’s seventh birthday, his mother and physician decided to try Chelation therapy—a process of removing heavy metals from the body by administration of chelating agents. According to Heeren, As a result, of chelation and a diet Michael has made dramatic improvements. Michael received ivies of DPMS, EDTA, glutathione, and other amino acids.

“We decided to do a treatment called chelation,” Heeren said. “ And basically he did ivies once a week and we got rid of the heavy metals out his body and we added an amino acid called glutathione. I really feel like the glutathione did a lot for him. I just know when he did these treatment they worked. He started showing improvement in all areas.”

According to the CDC, there is currently no cure for ASDs the most common form of autism. The CDC website states that early intervention treatment services can greatly improve the development of a child. The early intervention services help children from birth to Three-years-old learn important skills. These services may include therapy for speech, walking, and social interactions with others. The site suggest that it is important to talk to your child’s doctor as soon as possible if the early signs of autism are detectable in a child.

David Kirby, a former journalist for the New York Times and author of the 2005 book “Evidence of Harm,” says although he believes in vaccination he also believes that a subpopulation may be susceptible to certain injuries due to vaccines.

“I believe strongly in vaccinations – they prevent disease and save lives, Kirby said. “ If I were a parent, I would definitely vaccinate my child, especially against the most dangerous diseases whatever I did, I would decide very carefully in conjunction with a pediatrician. I believe that a small subpopulation of children may be susceptible to certain types of injuries from vaccinations, which could result in symptoms of autism and a diagnosis of ASD.”

There are many contributing factors to autism and vaccines are not the only cause of autism, according to Kirby.

“I believe there are many contributing factors to autism (susceptible genes, vitamin D deficiency, pollution, pesticides, metals, etc) and more kids today are at risk of ASD regression from many triggers,” Kirby said. “For some kids, I believe that vaccines play a role in setting off that trigger, but not that vaccines cause autism by themselves, nor that vaccines are implicated in all ASD cases.”

Michael’s mother doesn’t blame vaccine as the sole contributor to her son’s autism.

“Heavy metals are in so many things in the environment from computer cables to switches,” Heeren said. “I can’t tell you 100% that vaccines caused his autism. But I know that they have caused autism in other children and they definitely contributed to a lot of his medical problems."

According to the Center for Disease and Control, there are likely many causes for multiple types of autism, which include environmental, biologic and genetic factors. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is now considered as one of the most prevalent developmental disorders, according to the Center for Disease and Control.

David Kirby believes the issue still needs more research.

“The government should conduct a retrospective study (looking backward in time) of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children to see if there are any differences in health outcomes.” Kirby said. “The government should remove all mercury from all vaccines, and study the role of aluminum used in vaccines as a possible trigger of autoimmunity and metal toxicity."

Kirby believes the government should look closely at fetal DNA.

“They should also look more closely at human fetal DNA sequences found in the MMR and chicken pox vaccines to make sure there are no autoimmune or long-term effects of this.” Kirby said. “Most vaccines are already safe for most children – the important thing is to find out which children are most susceptible, and figure out a way to vaccinate them differently.”

Planting Seeds - The expanding landscape of hip-hop

2011-05-03T09:59:00.026-04:00

Pat Jamieson’s dorm room at Hofstra University is littered with posters of comic book heroes and basketball superstars. As Jamieson kicks back and plays NBA 2K11 on his Xbox 360, the last thing on his mind seems to be the remaining week and a half of classes.

Jamieson, a marketing major at Hofstra, is thinking beyond finals week. As an aspiring white suburban hip-hop artist, Jamieson – aka SoLo – has been racking up thousands of hits on his YouTube channel. His recent mixtape entitled “Electric Playground” was featured on hip-hop site Datpiff.com. Though his worries about getting in trouble by his parents might be growing, his buzz in the hip-hop world are, and much more so.

Jamieson is part of a rising sub sect of the genre called “frat rap”, and more broadly, part of an overall growth of hip-hop artistry that is unlike anything seen before.
“Frat rap was kind of started in the last year and really became popular with the emerging artist Sam Adams out of Boston,” says Jamieson.

“You don’t necessarily need to be in a frat. It’s just like this term that categorizes all the kids who are not poor from the streets. We’re all from nice families, but we can handle bars too. You don’t need to live a hard life to spit good raps.”

Kasual Kas, another Long Island rapper, sees Jamieson’s recent success as a part of a change in hip-hop that expands beyond “frat rap”.

“Hip hop is really evolving because everyone’s doing it and everyone’s good at it,” says Kas. “You don’t have to live in a certain agriculture to make it move. You don’t have to be from the ghetto to be good at hip-hop. You can be from the suburbs. You can be a girl. Anybody. It’s about the craft.”

The craft that Kas speaks of has undoubtedly been subject to much generalization and stereotyping – mainly relating to urban life, violence, drugs and sex. Yet, as artists like Jamieson thrive, these stereotypes seem to be crumbling.

“I think a hip-hop artist is basically just an expression of what they go through,” says Ike Infamous, host of the Stony Brook late-night radio show called StreetFM. “What everybody goes through in their own. Somebody who’s from the projects is only gonna talk about what they know in the projects and somebody from the suburbs is only gonna talk about what they know from the suburbs. It’s just about how you live. It’s about how you do, you know what I mean? So every hip-hop artist you would hope has a different story from the next.”

Infamous’ show features a slew of different types of hip-hop. But artists that are being spun around the nation, like Asher Roth or Mac Miller, are thriving off of the same party-esque mantra that Jamieson puts forward in his music.

"I keep in mind the people that who told me that I couldn't do it," says Jamieson. Though Jamieson draws inspiration from those who doubted his ability as a musician, he says that he doesn't forget those who support him either.

“I’m one of those kids who every single time someone Facebook IM’s me or inboxes me – as long as it’s not some bullshit – I answer them,” says Jamieson. “I may be short but I’m still answering kids who are 14 or 15 like ‘I just wanna be like you.’”

“Keep in mind the people who support you and the people who said you couldn’t do it because at the end of the day they’re both gonna be in awe.”

Commuting with Seawolves: How Route 347 Affects Stony Brook Commuters

2011-05-03T09:55:00.008-04:00

The work and school commutes are among the biggest headaches which face drivers around the country, but State Route 347 in New York can sometimes seem like a migraine to students who commute to Stony Brook University.

“If you’re looking to travel far, the lights are a little bit of an annoyance, and some of the roadwork,” Jenna Mascia, a senior health science major at the university who commutes from Shoreham, N.Y. said.

Route 347, a 15-mile highway that stretches from east-west between the Northern State Parkway in Hauppauge and Route 25A in Mount Sinai, is one of the major roads which provide students with access to Stony Brook University, a school with over 13,000 commuters. The highway connects students coming from points east and west of the university to the two roads that connect to the university’s entrances at Stony Brook Road in Stony Brook, and Nicoll’s Road in South Setauket. The highway features numerous traffic lights at several intersections, and recently, the New York State Department of Transportation and Suffolk County have undertaken several new projects which aim to improve the highway’s safety and environmental standards.

The Transportation Department began a major renovation project in August 2010 to transform the high-traffic highway, which has roughly 71,000 cars using it on a daily basis, to a safer, more environmentally sustainable, and less congested boulevard. The $26.8 million initiative will increase the number of traffic lanes, add more bicycle and pedestrian pathways, as well as bus stops with eco-friendly bus shelters and planted medians, and change the speed limit from 55 to 45 mph.

“The new speed limit should prevent bottlenecks, which is a larger problem on the road overall right now,” Eileen Peters, the public information officer for the Long Island region of NYSDOT said.

Construction for this project officially broke ground on the first one-mile stretch of road located in Smithtown between where Routes 347 and 454 split off of the Northern State Parkway and Route 111, and is expected to take until 2020 to thoroughly complete, which has left those who use the road divided on their opinions.

“Anything that’s going to make the roads more safe and more environmentally friendly is a good idea to me,” Jordan Stamatakis, a senior business management major at Stony Brook who commuter to school and work from Center Moriches, N.Y. said.

“This is going to affect the quality of life and I don’t honestly think it’s going to improve the road that much,” Charles Heine, 25, of Centereach, N.Y. said.

The project has gone through numerous revisions and phases to get to where it is now. Past proposals have included adding a sound wall and overpasses at Routes 111 and 112 and Nicoll’s Road, and making the road more like NY 27, with service roads and exits which would direct traffic into neighborhoods and likely hurt businesses off of the highway. Both plans were later revised in favor of the new project.

Commuters coming from points east have also dealt with construction at Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station. Two separate projects have been underway on the road since 2009. The first, a $37.9 million project renovates a section of the road between Pine Road in Coram and Route 347, while the second, a $33.1 million venture, renovates between Old Town and Pine Roads, and continues past Route 347 to where 112 reaches Route 25A in Port Jefferson. This project has included repaving, new turning lanes and central medians, as well the addition of new bike lanes, sidewalks, bus stops and shelters. Construction work takes place on the road between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and will include daytime travel lane closures, which have extended onto 347.

“It definitely takes me longer to get home now,” Mascia said. “There is a lot of traffic buildup at 112 now because of the construction, and it’s definitely frustrating.”

Suffolk County has also made some changes along 347, recently installing several new red light cameras along the road as part of a Red Light Safety Program which began in June 2010. The cameras are set up to capture images of the back of cars running red lights and also record a short video of the infraction, which those who receive citations can view online.

A total of 12 cameras have been installed at a total of five intersections along 347. Two are located at the intersections of NY 25 and 347 in Nesconset, Stony Brook Road and 347 in Stony Brook, Mark Tree Road and 347 in South Setauket, and Old Town Road and 347 in Port Jefferson Station. Four cameras are located at the intersection of Nicoll’s Road and 347. These cameras are also an issue which has left those who use the road divided, especially students who try to get to school on time.

“I’m kind of in between on those lights,” Stamatakis said. “From one point of view it’s cutting back on people running red lights, but it’s also creating a more dangerous environment if you know the camera’s there, and the light’s turning from yellow to red, and you try to force yourself to stop, and if it’s raining out, or there’s snow on the ground, it could potentially cause a more dangerous situation as you try to stop and slide into the intersection to avoid getting a ticket.”

“I was actually excited about in a weird way,” Mascia said. “I think it’s beneficial, it’s not right to be blowing those lights and everything, it’s just not safe.”

All of these factors combined frustrate commuter students at Stony Brook.

“If you’re late by 10-15 minutes, that could mean that much longer of a wait for the bus at South P [Commuter parking lot], so it’s kind of like this domino effect,” Mascia said

“I’m never really late for my classes because of traffic, but I’ve been late by 15-20 minutes before,” Stamatakis said. “It’s frustrating, especially when you can’t find parking on campus closer to buildings. It makes you that much later.”

Web Packages/Editors

2011-05-03T09:34:00.007-04:00

As I was checking my mail this morning I couldn't stop laughing at the AOL home page. Right under a photo of Bin Laden with a link to an article "The Call That Led to His Death" and additional photos, there was a photo of a little girl with the words "How I Learned to Love my Curls" underneath. I have no idea what this web editor was thinking, and honestly how does that even happen?

Yahoo News did it right. Every photo, video and link on the page has something to do with Bin Laden, American intellegence or Pakistan. There was also a mention of trump but that was about it. I kept jumping from link to link, unlike on the AOL homepage where I just laughed and left.

Red Mango: The Growing Franchise

2011-05-03T05:05:00.006-04:00

George Abgeris, owner of the Red Mango frozen yogurt and smoothie shop in Stony Brook, N.Y. was inspired by the success he saw other Red Mango owners on Long Island enjoying before he himself became a franchisee.

“I was looking all over Long Island”, said Abgeris. “First I saw it in Deer Park. When they first opened I saw the store was busy. Then I saw another one in Plainview.”

Abgeris made haste in contacting the corporate office to inquire about Red Mango franchise locations available elsewhere on Long Island. His Stony Brook store opened November of last year and now, according to Abgeris serves nearly 500 customers each day.

Sophia Chiaramonte, a local student and regular customer at Red Mango favors the store because of the customizability of the yogurt. She also likes the store’s aesthetics.

“It just doesn’t look like your normal ice cream place or whatever. I wasn’t really expecting to like frozen yogurt that much but it’s really good”, she said.

Other customers say that Red Mango is conveniently located and quick, providing a fast snack for customers on the go. The store serves many regulars according to Abgeris, both students at the nearby Stony Brook University and Stony Brook locals.

Abgeris organized a large-scale advertising strategy for the restaurant’s grand opening that included coupon mail-outs and ads played in movie theaters. The advertising campaign continues today, bringing a steady stream of customers to the store.

This particular Red Mango is found across the street from a Starbucks and not far from several Baskin Robbins locations (one is found on the very same street). This is a situation common among the several new Red Mango restaurants on Long Island; they are close to and sometimes even in the same shopping centers as the restaurants that have for years been the go-to places for Long islanders seeking ice cream and other sweets. Abgeris however, thinks that there is room for everyone.

“I don’t think we take business from them”, he said. “We have totally different products. If people go to Dunkin’ Donuts the go for the donuts and if the go to Starbucks they go for the coffee. Here they come for the smoothies and for the yogurt.”

When asked what makes his product so different from those offered by what some might call similar restaurants, Abgeris responded that the yogurt is fat free, and that the health factor, for customers, was the most important thing.

The Red Mango company’s website has a page dedicated to those interested in franchising on Long Island and elsewhere, including a timeline of the application process. The company that originated in South Korea in 2002 celebrated the opening of its 100th United States location in February of 2011 according to the website.

Plastic Bag Ban

2011-05-03T04:36:00.002-04:00

Cutting our nation’s wasteful spending has taken a backseat to cutting environmental waste.

“Issues such as the economy have become peripheral,” said Stony Brook Political Psychologist Jacob Sohlberg. “What people think about environmental issues is strongly affected by party leaders. When one party leader decides the issue is important then supporters of that party will follow their leader.”

In order to preserve the environment and countless animals around the world, a global movement to ban the use of plastic bags is underway. San Francisco has become the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags, and a statewide plastic-ban bill has been introduced in Oregon. Washington D.C. has enacted a “bag tax,” and both Indiana and Maryland have proposed bag-taxes of their own.

“Many see this issue as a threat to free-market and de-regulation,” said Sohlberg.

Despite the fact that the science on the dangers posed by plastic bags is far from settled, grocery and retail stores all over the country no longer offer plastic bags to their customers.

“It’s ridiculous that the government even has to step in,” said Lake Grove, N.Y Whole Foods manager Lorraine Barker. “People should take personal ownership and do the right thing.”

Whole Foods and Ikea were among the first stores to phase out plastic bags.

“We sell reusable shopping bags for 79 cents each,” said Ikea employee Rob Bashwiner. “All proceeds go to American Forests organization.”

While many shoppers believe they are doing their part to save the planet by bringing their own bags to the store, many shoppers remain skeptical.

“I feel as though retailers are being forced not to provide plastic bags,” said A&P shopper Robert Krauss. “The government tells everyone plastic bags are bad for the environment, and then stores tell us they’re bad for the environment, too. What about what I think?”

Environmentalists and some scientists claim the bags are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of creatures on land and at sea. They also claim that the bags are so slow to biodegrade, resulting in clogged landfills.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) begs to differ.

According to the ACC, plastic bags are 100 percent recyclable, take up less space in landfills and generate 80 percent less waste than paper bags.

“I don’t want to be charged for a plastic bag,” said one Stony Brook University student. “Or flat-out denied one in the name of an issue I don’t even believe exists.”

The problem with enacting plastic bag bans and taxes is apparent in Ireland. An OLR research report concluded that by banning plastic bags, the sale of non-grocery plastic bags has risen 400 percent. The study also found that Scotland and Australia would experience similar increases in non-grocery plastic bags if they chose to implement plastic bag taxes. Additionally, retailers would be expected to provide more paper bags, which cost significantly more to produce than plastic bags.

“I always keep reusable bags in my car,” said Ikea shopper Barbara Signorelli. “I mean, do you really need a plastic grocery bag for every garbage can in your house?”

Some grocery stores offer incentives such as 5-cent refunds for each reusable bag customers bring in.

“These incentives are what allow the market to choose,” said Stony Brook Ecosystems and Human Impact Director, Dr. James. Hoffmann. “They encourage people not to simply shift to other types of plastic bags.”

If 5 Pointz Comes Down, Artists Choose to Paint Illegally

2011-05-03T04:32:00.006-04:00

One of the biggest places in the world for legal graffiti may be knocked down in the next few years.

The place is 5 Pointz, an old industrial building, on Jackson Ave in Long Island City, N.Y. covered inside and outside with graffiti. Developers want to build two apartments reaching around 40 stories high. They formally submitted plans to the New York City Department of City Planning around the end of March.

They will need to demolish 5 Pointz.

Graffiti artists from around the world have spray painted every part of 5 Pointz, this means they paint from the ground up to the very top of the building. Even on the rooftops, the aerosol art is visible from the trains on the Line 7 that shrieks by 5 Pointz about every five minutes. Graffiti artists want the place to remain the way it is for two reasons: the place is big and the place is legal.

Without 5 Pointz, the graffiti artists either choose to stop spray painting in New York or they paint illegally. Artists, who have come to 5 Pointz in the past month, say they will not stop.

“There should be a place like this in every city and in every country,” said Jonathan Cohen, 38, the curator of 5 Pointz whom also goes by the graffiti tag-name “Meres.” For almost fifteen years, graffiti has manifested on this industrial building. He said the loss of the building, as a legal outlet for graffiti, would be like silencing art and expression.

“We would definitely go underground. I mean that’s where it started from,” said Stephen Davis, 22, a graffiti artist living in Brooklyn. His tag name is “Epic Skiiwalker.” Without 5 Pointz, graffiti artists like himself would spray paint walls of “condemned-looking” building since he said there are so many around the city.

“You tear this place down and it’s only going to make people hit the streets harder,” said Davis, “you can put graffiti anywhere you want to.” He has only painted at 5 Pointz twice, both tags in the last month.

“Graffiti artists will probably go wherever they feel they can do their work,” said a graffiti artist known as Clone, 29, from Philadelphia, “it might be under a bridge, might be on a train.”

The artists spray-painting around 5 Pointz all agree on the same thing. Graffiti started in New York City and without 5 Pointz, one of the biggest legal outlets, the city would not be the same.

On the property where 5 Pointz stands, developers Jerry Wolkoff and David Wolkoff, father and son, plan to use it on mixed-use basis. What both Jerry and David envision for the new development are two apartments standing about 40 stories high with 900 units, a yoga room, a pool, a gym and retail stores. They are still drawing up designs, but the vision they have now is a definitive outline of the project.

“The area is changing,” said David Wolkoff, 44, a developer with an office in Manhattan and one in Edgewood, N.Y. Between Queen’s Plaza and Hunter’s Point, 5 Pointz stands on Jackson Ave. As Long Island City continues to grow, Wolkoff said Jackson Ave is going to fill in with business and residents.

“New York City rezoned central Long Island City to encourage residential and commercial development following lower mid and downtown Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn,” said Dan Minor, Senior Vice President of Business Services at the Long Island City Business Development Corporation.

“I am a businesswoman. It would be smart in the business-sense to have more people come in,” said Jana Tieoli, owner of the Manducatis restaurant on Jackson Ave, “but you got to have a little more integrity. You can’t push people out into the street.”

Her great grandfather lived in Long Island City and she has been living in the area for about 40 years. Long Island City is an arts community and Tieoli has seen growing number of young people in the area. She has also seen tourists from around the world, eating at her restaurant, to see the 5 Pointz building.

“It’s time for this building to change,” said Wolkoff, “It’s an old building. We believe it’s time to move forward and progress with the area.”

Within the plans of the new development, Wolkoff has included artists’ lofts in the proposed buildings and also a public area. The public area will be a wall for graffiti artists to paint. It will be near the back of the new development.

Jerry Wolkoff and his son David love the artwork on the building. Graffiti artists spray paint on the building because Jerry and David have allowed it. Without their approval, 5 Pointz was not possible.

“The building goes on forever, the space goes on forever,” said Jerry Wolkoff. He said 30 to 40 artists are able to paint on the building now and on the public wall there will be enough space for 6 or 8.

“A little wall for New York City is bad idea,” said Clone, “this is the Big Apple you need a big wall.”

According to Cohen, the curator of 5 Pointz, a good day at 5 Pointz has about 30 to 40 artists painting on it. The artwork on 5 Pointz closer to the ground lasts between a week to a about a month. Clone’s graffiti lasted a week until another graffiti tag covered it.

“There’ll be tons of European traffic that comes into the U.S. and into New York that has nowhere to go and will either choose to paint illegally or not paint at all,” said Cohen.

“If they tear it down, at least I got to paint here,” said Steven Davis, “I got to meet a lot people, lot of old-school cats.”

Gilgo and Oak Beach: A Community's Reaction

2011-05-03T04:24:00.005-04:00

The recent discovery of multiple human remains in Gilgo Beach and Oak Beach in Suffolk County and in Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County, N.Y. has brought national attention to the south shore of Long Island. With this discovery has come the shattering of local communities, leaving beaches quieter than usual at the beginning of the summer season.

Ten bodies have been found so far on the south shore, with the first four being discovered in December 2010. The last six human remains were found during March and April of 2011, and the search continues for more. The killer is still unknown, causing fear and uncertainty of safety for those who visit and live on the beaches.

“When they got the first four I thought it was the end of it,” said Joe Polizotto, a resident of Lindenhurst, N.Y. “But it seemed like they just kept turning up.” Polizotto wasn’t surprised of their discovery though. “It’s the perfect place to dump. You got a lot of land that people don’t walk to for a long time, deep scrubs, people don’t go traipsing through that, we have the parking lots which is a lot of unused open ground. Kinda not surprised that something’s going on.”

The local police, who weren’t allowed to comment, have been combing the brush alongside Ocean Parkway since the December 2010 discovery with the Suffolk and Nassau County Police Departments.

The killer hasn’t been found, but Louis Monahan of East Islip speculated that the culprit wasn’t far. “Most of the locals believe that it’s somebody local,” Monahan said. “They think its somebody from the neighborhood. How true that is, I have no idea.”

“It was a little bit of a dark cloud,” said Polizotto, “Everybody’s getting a little bit down about it. This is like a pristine area.”

Although the finding of human remains has scared off some beachgoers, other locals won’t stop visiting the beach. Ira Levine of Lindenhurst, N.Y. still visits Overlook beach with his family, even though it is located less than a mile to where bodies were discovered. “I can’t say it’s had a huge effect,” said Ira Levine of Lindenhurst, N.Y. “I mean it’s definitely something to be worried, concerned and feel bad about what’s going on around here. But overall we’ve been coming to this beach for twenty-something years and we would never stop.”

The search for additional remains is ongoing, with a search of the Robert Moses Causeway planned for Tuesday, May 3. A search on Monday did not reveal any new remains.

Stories of Substance

2011-05-03T02:53:00.012-04:00

Educating adolescents about healthy decision-making can be just as awkward for parents as it is for the children. And with shows such as Intervention, 16 and Pregnant, and Teen Mom, questionable decision-making has been widely publicized, causing some adults to look for new ways to talk to the youth about the choices in their life.

Such new forms of education can be found through the use of peer groups like Stories of Substance (SOS), a performance group that travels to different schools and teaches students of all ages about decisions that may directly affect their life.

Director and health educator Kathleen Flynn-Bisson started SOS about two years ago. The group was originally made up of students that were a part of a class Flynn-Bisson taught at Stony Brook University, but has expanded since.

Flynn-Bisson accepts true stories through Stories of Substance’s website, and then talks with the cast about which ones they find the most suitable for any given performance.

“We’re taking all different topics,” said Flynn-Bisson, “we’re taking them from the community through our website and then turn it into a live show that is then performed back into the community.”

The group’s most recent performance was at Herrick’s High School in New Hyde Park, where they worked to educate students while pushing parents to encourage an open dialogue with their kids.

“I was fortunate enough to see the troupe perform back in October at a bullying conference,” said Andrew Frisone, an assistant principal at Herricks, “so when I heard they were coming tonight I was extremely excited to see them again.”

SOS performed skits on sexual abuse, family alcoholism, cyber bullying, energy drinks and video gaming. Frisone kept an eye on the students throughout. “When we went to the conference it was filled with adults so it was good to see the kids reactions this time,” he said.

Students came to earn mandatory points for their health class, but enjoyed the show.

“I think they had no idea what they were coming to see,” said Frisone. “They liked it because the actors got down on their level, spoke the language that they understood and they were just phenomenal.”

Though students were a large focus of the performance, parents were encouraged to get involved as well.

Flynn-Bisson directed the attention to the parents in the audience in the end, explaining the role they play in their children’s decision making. “When we present to parents we try to show them what’s going on because it’s based on true things,” she said. “Sometimes when we have a scene that has to do with heroin, because heroin definitely is a problem, that opens a lot of discussion with parents.”

Among the parents was Christine Michelen, co-president of Herrick’s Parent Education and Community Awareness Committee (PECA). PECA, made up of youth council, Herricks’ administrators and PTAs, has been working to get different health education opportunities to schools throughout the district.

“Sometimes we have a panel, sometimes it’s a film, but we’ve never had actors before,” said Michelen. “So we brought a variety of programs and we never really addressed alcohol, which is a gateway to other drugs.”

Michelen appreciated the focus on alcoholism as well as the various other topics they performed about. She too saw the reaction of the students. “Every single one of them said they didn’t want to come but they were so glad that they did,” she said.
This positive reaction is just what Flynn-Bisson and the cast of SOS thrives off of.

“One of the thing’s that’s really cool about it is that a lot of time, by the end of the day, were getting stories from the school we just performed at,” Flynn-Bisson said. “That’s just been amazing because that’s the kids, that’s the youth we try to get.”

The Buzz in The City: The Rise of Urban Beekeeping

2011-05-03T01:00:00.004-04:00

By: Jie Jenny Zou

A stack of wooden boxes resembling a small filing cabinet hums quietly with the activity of over 30,000 honeybees. It’s a tiny home considering the amount of tenants, but a productive one nonetheless.

At the Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm in Long Island City, Queens, four hives sit in relative obscurity along with the rest of the 40,000 square foot plot of mulch and what will soon be rows and rows of green produce.

Chase Emmons, the farm’s beekeeper, is tasked with keeping the buzzing critters alive—providing them with water, room to store nectar, and a little bit of medical care.

“You can think of a myriad of issues that would present themselves when you’re trying to keep a bunch of stinging insects in a crowded city,” said Emmons, who has encountered his fair share of bee fear when transporting bee equipment or bees in buildings.

“If you’re keeping them on a fire escape, coming and going is a problem, bringing them up through buildings that are crowded and people sort of just freaking out because they’re bees, even if you don’t have bees with you,” Emmons said.

With sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, its own water tower, greenhouse and irrigation system, Brooklyn Grange is both a visual anomaly and an effective wonder. The farm has not been able to keep up with demand for produce and counts high-end New York City eateries like “Bobo” among its clientele.

“It connects me with my food supply, it allows me to be more in touch with where my food’s coming from, where it’s going—not just in my belly—but where it’s going,” Emmons said of his decision to keep bees as an urban farmer that produces about 15 percent of his own food.

Emmons, who divides his time between Massachusetts and Manhattan, compares beekeeping and farming to ‘hacking.’ “To me it was like I was beating the system,” Emmons said. “It wasn’t at all a tree hugger kind of ‘back to the land’ mentality, it was ‘wow, this is kind of cool.’”

“There’s an aspect of hipness to it,” Emmons said, referring to the newfound popularity of beekeeping.

As a beekeeping instructor at the Brooklyn Brainery in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, Tim O’Neal had to put prospective students on a waitlist. “I think it's absolutely catching on,” the 26-year-old said of the increased interest in urban beekeeping. “I really hope that it is long-term.”

"I’ve had plenty of relationships that were shorter than the ones I’ve had with bees," said O'Neal with a chuckle. “We got a lot of our own honey from a local beekeeper and that was really my first exposure to it, through my parents’ desire to eat locally, to eat healthily and eat sustainably in Ohio.”

O’Neal gave beekeeping a try at the age of 13 using a beekeeper’s handbook he borrowed from the library and his parents’ credit card. When the Ohio native made the move to Brooklyn, he brought along his appreciation for all things bees including a blog chronicling his urban beekeeping adventures (www.Boroughbees.com).

“Each hive has its own personality,” said O’Neal who admits to having named a hive or two. “It's a box of 60,000 stinging insects, but it's a box of 60,000 stinging insects that doesn't care about you.”

Beekeeping in New York City has only been legal since a health law banning specific venomous animals was amended in March 2010. The department overturned the law after public outcry from city keepers and a study that showed that beestings posed a minimal risk to the public.

In Long Island, where beekeeping has been largely legal aside from a handful of districts, Constance Still carries on the tradition of beekeeping that began with her late husband over three decades ago.

“We’re allowed to have four hives in a quarter of an acre,” said Still, referencing the Long Island Beekeepers Club Good Neighbor policy, which puts a cap on the number of hives a keeper can have as a matter of building general good will. Still also said that providing your immediate neighbors with a jar or two of honey from your hive doesn’t hurt either. In the city, keepers need only file notice with the health department.
Today, she manages two hives in the backyard of her home in Bayport and creates lip balm and other body products in addition to local honey.

“Everybody usually asks me, ‘Do you get bit?’ And I say no, ‘I’ve never been bit,’” Still exclaimed. “Yes, I’ve been stung. I do not get stung very often, but I do get stung deliberately.” Still said that the numbing sensation from a bee sting helps alleviate the pain from her arthritis.

“People are getting better and more careful about distinguishing between bees and wasps or yellow jackets,” O’Neal said of increasing awareness of bees.

For Jim Fischer, who maintains over 40 hives throughout the city with his wife, beekeeping is a way of life.

“In a rural environment where people are farmers, they certainly are much more accepting of beekeeping as being something that is just as normal as having dairy cows,” Fischer said. “They’re little tiny livestock, you know? But they’re still livestock.”

“The community wasn't quite as open and vibrant as it is now,” O’Neal said, comparing the pre-legalization group with today’s crop of keepers. “Now everybody has the option of coming and learning about this important aspect of our food culture and our food system without any fear of consequence.”

“There’s definitely been an increase in interest in beekeeping,” said Fischer who teaches a beekeeping class that runs from late winter to early spring. The annual free class is offered by New York City Beekeeping, a cooperative of nearly 1,200 beekeepers and enthusiasts in the city. Fischer kept hives in the city before it was legal and even transported a hive to Still’s residence after being reported.

“The announcement that the bees were dying created a great deal of interest, people were coming out of the woodwork,” Fischer said. “This year the class had 150 students and of that 150, about 118 are starting new hives this spring.”

The commercial bee business was hit hard in 2006 with the onset of Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, which led to a mysterious die-off of thousands of beehives across the country. The loss negatively impacted the U.S. almond crop in the West, which is where the majority of commercial beekeeping efforts are concentrated.

“People can't have urban agriculture without urban beekeeping,” said O’Neal, stressing the inextricable link between farming and bees. “They can't grow crops reliant on honeybees for pollination if there are no honeybees in the city.”

On a 6,000 square plot of land atop Greenpoint, Brooklyn, bees have played a role since the very beginning.

“It’s really hard to measure what it would be like to grow the crops without bees because we’ve always had bees on the farm,” said urban farmer Annie Novak, who decided to install hives on Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in 2009 before beekeeping was legal. “I know that bees—for us as farmers and for myself and for our customers, it’s a great source of really delicious honey.”

According to O’Neal, a single hive is capable of producing 100 pounds of honey per year, but it’ll take at least two years before a beekeeper can extract harvestable honey. Beekeepers must provide hives with a stockpile of honey large enough to last the bees through winter.

Honeybees collect nectar from local flora within a three to five mile radius from their hive, often making a quick beeline to expansive green spaces like Central Park or even venturing across state lines to the nearest orchards in New Jersey. The result is a sticky and rather solid, pale yellow substance known as raw honey, which is heated and clarified to produce the clear golden goo, we’ve come to normally expect.

“Once you get into beekeeping for less than $300, there’s actually very little expense in maintaining the hive,” Fischer said of the monetary commitment associated with the practice. “Bees will feed themselves, so all you have to deal with is monitoring for all these invasive species—all these pests and pathogens.”

Equipment includes wooden frames onto which the bees build their honeycomb and store nectar, bee suits to protect against stings, and a smoker that calms the bees and allows keepers to inspect hives up close.

And then of course there are the bees themselves. A three-pound starter package of bees, which includes about 40,000 bees and a single queen, will set you back $70 or $80 and can be transported live via postal mail.

“In terms of time commitment, it's certainly no worse than any other pet you may have,” O’Neal said, who spends anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes per week checking on the status of a hive. “It's probably more than a goldfish, but it's also a lot more fun than keeping a goldfish, so it's worth it.”

The Royal Wedding: The Good, and the Bad

2011-05-02T16:53:00.016-04:00

I decided to do my post on the royal wedding this past weekend and looked at two different sites that made their own decisions on how much coverage was appropriate. Although the wedding was on many people's minds and made headlines, its also important to remember that there are other stories out there that deserve attention. For example, the tornado in the south that killed hundreds of people, or the space shuttle Endeavor's cancelled mission.

The first site I looked at was washingtonpost.com. I appreciated their coverage on the wedding today because they covered a bit of the aftermath without going too overboard. Osama Bin Laden's death was all over the site, but its important to also think about what the wedding's coverage would be today if Bin Laden's death did not happen. As for the coverage, there was a slideshow lower on the home page of the family under 'Editor's Choice', with links to other articles once you clicked on the slideshow from the home page. I thought this was just enough coverage for the wedding considering that there was other important news going on, so the editor made a good choice.

A site that I didn't appreciate was people.com. Disclaimer: I usually don't appreciate people.com, but their coverage on the royal wedding was so extensive that I had to write about it. There was a photo gallery on the wedding, an after-hours coverage, videos on Prince William from his childhood, a story on hats worn to the wedding... you name it. In fact, thats only a glimpse of how much wedding coverage was on that site! Again, I repeat that I don't usually turn to People as my news source, but the ignorance to other events going on in the world was astonishing. They even didn't mention Osama Bin Laden until 5:30PM or the tornados that killed hundreds. All I can say is, wow.

Overall I'd say that these were two good examples of editing decisions gone right and wrong. Maybe a bit extreme, but good examples.

Web Editors-The Front Page

2011-05-02T16:53:00.015-04:00

Photo Credit: webranking.com

Web editors are responsible for determining what stories receive the most play on their news organization's website, which also determines the character the site has. The web editor can determine whether the biggest stories of the day involve major world events, or the latest goings on with celebrities, as well as determine which stories about these events are worth putting at the top of the page, or whether they're worth putting at the bottom.
Today's biggest story is of course Osama Bin Laden's death, and any news organization that isn't prioritizing this story in any way is making a bad news decision. (Even Entertainment Weekly has a version of the story on the top of their homepage, at least in reference to the ratings the news and cable networks had, which is pertinent to their audience-but they are still covering it nonetheless. Hell, even TMZ is covering it in the way that only TMZ can get away with covering a story, so if there is any single news organization that is not prioritizing this story, then they have officially been downgraded on my list of reliable sources of information, behind even TMZ and possibly even the trashy print tabloids).

I decided to check out the Los Angeles Times to see how their website is prioritizing the story, and seeing how stories (and which ones specifically) are getting the most play right now. I chose L.A. Times because while they are just as global a force as New York Times, they tend to localize a little bit more for their audience, so I was curious to see how they are localizing the death (especially since the 9/11 attacks occurred in New York). Because the attacks didn't occur there, I was curious about how some other stories might be covered-L.A. is the entertainment capital of the United States after all-so some entertainment stories could easily be receiving large play.

The top most part of the L.A. Times homepage is devoted completely to the Bin Laden story. The headline reads "Bin Laden may have used wife as shield," and the first two stories listed alongside and directly below it are other stories about the raid that killed him. On the far right side of the page, below an ad for Tiffany's are three photo galleries, all devoted to the story in some way. Also featured directly below the top story are an analysis story on how Bin Laden's death could be a huge boost for Obama, and other stories about it with slightly more local angles about how the families of fallen soldiers are coping, how security has changed, and how people are celebrating.

Halfway down the page a box features the top Entertainment news (something to be expected being that this is Los Angeles), and the other top stories of the day, both local Los Angeles stories and other world stories.

In the box about Political news, the featured stories are not about the Bin Laden death but the Technology section below it has some major focus on it. The top story in this section is about a pair in Pakistan who unintentionally live-tweeted the Bin Laden raid, and the second of the other five feature stories is about how the Bin Laden death set the Twitter record for tweets-per-second. The Opinion section features three Bin laden pieces, and one about consumerism. As the page reaches the bottom, and breaks into further news sections, there is a little less coverage about Bin Laden, but still some. The World news heading features a Bin Laden story as its second major story, the Business heading's top stories is about stocks being low despite the news of Bin Laden's death, and the Arts section's top story is about the compound where Bin Laden was killed. Only the Sports, Health, and Books sections do not feature stories about Bin laden as any of their top ones.

It is clear that the L.A. Times web editor is prioritizing the Bin Laden story as many ways as possible, first by creating an entire section devoted to the story at the top of the page, and then still giving play to other stories that are not directly related to the major one, but are still related nonetheless. I feel these are excellent decisions on the web editor's part, because this story is the biggest one of the day in the United States at least, if not the world, and will likely be a big story for a while. It's play will change as time goes on and other stories do become more timely and important, but for right now it should be the main focus, and the L.A. Times website does an excellent job of giving it that.

Breaking News Web Packages

2011-05-02T12:17:00.006-04:00

The big news today is of course the death of Osama Bin Laden, long pursued for allegedly planning and executing the devastating terrorist attacks on 9/11. President Obama, last night, announced that Bin Laden had been killed by US soldiers.

News organizations on the web are characterized by what they choose to play up and what type of stories get the major headlines. Is hard news on the top of the page or the bottom? The same for entertainment, human interest, sports, etc. On a day where every publication of note is running the same major story with most or all of the articles on their home pages pertaining to it, how can one judge the content of different news sites?

Through the examination of the specific headlines (even when on the same subject) one can determine the character of a news website. Huffington Post, this morning welcomes viewers with a large photo of Bin Laden headlined "Inside the Raid that Killed Bin Lade." Text below the photo promises video of the raids "bloody aftermath" and assertions that soldiers were ordered to kill and not capture Bin Laden.

Towards the middle of the homepage there are links to various opinion articles. There seems to be very little in-depth reporting present. The site, at the very bottom, still features headlines regarding celebrities and other entertainment news. To me, the web editing here was poor because since the Huffington Post is known for linking to others' content, the editors should have chosen to feature more meaningful content. However if this is the type of news (entertainment) that the site wants to feature, it is evident in its sites' layout.

The Washington Post, also uses the vast majority of its opening page presenting stories about Bin Laden's death, but towards the bottom of the page, there is still legitimate news pertaining to other stories.

Washington Post clearly prioritizes the death of Bin Laden as highly as the Huffington Post but the stories are focused on hard news rather than tabloid-esque content. Furthermore that page does feature news that is not related to the breaking story (though it is certainly played down to the bottom of the page). Web editing decisions effect the public's perception of a news organization.

Because web editors often work in shifts, the image that a newspaper portrays at one time of day might be completely different than the image it conveys at another. For online news agencies that do not have print or television components, perhaps a restructuring is in order. For the sake of consistency, the position of web editor should combine the duties entrusted to editors (in the print sense of the term) in addition to traditional web editor duties. Web-only news agencies may want to consider that they could benefit from editors with knowledge of the web.

The culmination of EarthStock 2011

2011-04-30T20:50:00.018-04:00

Approximately 120 red, green and blue environmentally conscience display tables lined the Academic Mall Friday morning for the columniation of the 7th annual Earthstock at Stony Brook University.

“Earthstock is a weeklong celebration of Earth day,” Jeff Barnett, the events organizer and Assistant Dean of Students said. “We have over five day were we examine issue of sustainability environmentalism, reducing carbon footprints, energy issues from almost every angle imaginable.”

A few students started the event ten year ago, who wanted to raise awareness about earth day, according to Barnett.

“About 10 years ago a group of student who worked with the department recycling and resource management and who had some relationship with the environmental club” Barnett said. They thought it was important to them to raise awareness about earth day and the environment.”

The thousand of people who attend the event were treated to a variety of entertaining attractions. Reptiles, scared and entertained attendees on the grass outside of the Student Activity Center, Kelvin Leong, an employee of the reptile exhibit, had a large crowd around his reptile booth.

“We travel all around Long Island Queens and New York and we do educational programs for elementary, middle schools, high school and libraries, Leong said. “What we do is teach them all types of stuff about animal and how to respect the environment. Today we brought anaconda, two pythons an alligator, tree frogs and many more reptiles.”

Many of the students who gather around the reptile booth were in awe of the variety of reptilians.

“These guys are the best Herpetologist,” said Jenn Bailie, a 22-year-old Stony Brook University senior. “They are great performers and this is the best exhibit here at Earthstock.”

The juggling stilt walkers wowed others in the crowd by juggling bowling pins in front of the Melville Library during the EarthStock festival. A Jon Pierce, a high school student in attendance said the stilt walkers were amazing.

“I was at the reptile booth and then I saw the tall lady.” Pierce said. “She was juggling these pin with a guy on the ground and it was pretty amazing.”

But the event wasn’t all fun and games. Earthstock gave Stony Brook the chance to unveil its new hybrid buses. The university has already made a push to go green by implementing buses that are more environmentally safe in previous years. Stony Brook has several buses that run on vegetable oil, but the fleet will now feature environmentally friendly hybrid buses, according to Michael Kuhl of Electro Motive Designs. The company’s hybrid buses were on display at Earthstock.

"The buses have been retrofitted with a hybrid system," Kuhl said. " They were in service for awhile but now they have the system. The system is called a M-drive and it is a very simple system. It addes an electric motor that helps during launch."

The M-drive motor was designed by Electro Motive Designs, according to Kuhl.

Nardy Honda in Smithtown was also on site, giving out information on hybrid cars and had three of the latest Honda models available for students to look at.

The main purpose of Earthstock is to educate the festivals attendees on maintaining and improving the environment, according to Barnett.

Butfor those in attendence the culminating festival acts as a stress reliever and a reminder that the summer season is almost here.

Earthstock 2011 at Stony Brook University

2011-04-30T11:48:00.001-04:00

Earthstock Festival 2011

2011-04-30T10:21:00.004-04:00

Students at Stony Brook University in New York were able to go green and enjoy the warm weather at the 2011 Earthstock Festival. The weeklong event hit its pinnacle on Friday, April 29th when performers, vendors, and organizations with an eco-friendly message took to Stony Brook’s academic mall. The festival celebrated Earth Day as well as the sustainability movement at the university.

A passerby could hear the Earthstock Festival long before they saw the colorful tables lining the walkways of the academic mall. Performers at the five hour-long festival greeted spectators coming from the Student Activities Center (SAC) bus loop with Taiko drums, brass and woodwind instruments. On the other side of the mall by the administration building, the band Peat Moss and the Fertilizers serenaded audiences with their own renditions of popular songs.

Stilt walkers made an appearance at the Earth Day celebration, along with eco-friendly company mascots and the university’s own Wolfie. Vegan activists and other organizations handed out pamphlets and brochures, while some students offered free hugs as their way of celebrating Earthstock.

Earthstock was also an educational experience with exhibits like the Long Island Natural Science Museum, which brought the environmental impact to a local level. The museum did not have to travel far to get to the festival because they are located at the University’s Earth and Space Science building right at the end of the academic mall.

Mixed among the educational and environmental exhibits were vendors and a farmer’s market. One vendor, World Village Fair Trade Market, sold colorful eco-friendly scarves and instruments. The farmer’s market next to the SAC sold vegetables and fruit from local farms. Other vendors sold candy and other earth friendly snacks along the walkway.

Listening to music and perusing the exhibits and vendors weren’t the only activities a visitor to Earthstock could do. They could make buttons out of old magazines, go to a rubber duck race, look at eco-friendly cars by the SAC or hold an anaconda or tortoise. The animals next to the Psychology building took many people by surprise. If one felt so inclined they could have an anaconda placed on their shoulders while spectators snapped pictures of them. They could also stop to see the tortoise that was slowly making its way around the lawn between the SAC and the Psychology building. “It was odd seeing a tortoise walking around the students, but really cool,” said Kasie Madden, a sophomore and studio art major.

The Earthstock Festival brought many students out of their winter slump so they could enjoy a day of celebrating the earth and the many activities that Earthstock had to offer. With final exams only a few weeks away, this festival served as a relief to many students who spent the week studying and preparing to leave school for the summer. To those who don’t attend the university, the festival allowed for them to become part of the campus community and take part in the celebration. Although Earthstock spanned a week, the 2011 Earthstock Festival brought the community together for several hours of education, farm fresh food and fun.

The New York Times multimedia packages: the good and the bad

2011-04-26T07:32:00.001-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/sports/26titleix.html?hp

In the sport section of the New York Times conveniently published yesterday, was an online package about the gender equity law entitled Title IX. The law has open the athletic field to millions of female athletes who previously were unable to play sports at the collegiate level. But it turns out most college are actually falsifying the number of player they have on their respective teams. There are also males on female teams as an easy out for universities to pad their female athlete statistics.

The article is well done as most New York Times article are, but the video is not your typical online video. It begins with the reporter explaining her reasons for doing the story and acts more like an interactive beatnote before we see the video. The video is done in more broadcast style which hurts the overall package, but not enough to hamper the journalists ability to tell the story.

There are several really nice photographs throughout the post, but I could not find a straightforward photo gallery. I do not know if this a design flaw of the website or just an oversight by the web-editor. I think it is a well done package because the video and the written piece can easily stand alone. I liked it because the story not really the video.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/business/26floor.html?hp

I will continuing to pick on the New York Times as an example. The online package of a story entitled Preserving a Market Symbol, is a terrible online pack. the video is noticeably grainy on my high resolution monitor. The photos are great but the article is rather long and bland.

The New York Times has a great opportunity to really blur the lines of print journalism and online multimedia, but there approach is stuck somewhere between the mid 90s and outer space. They often have incredible interactive features, great photos but really bland videos.

Good (and Bad) Online Packages

2011-04-25T17:18:00.004-04:00

I was intrigued when I found this article in the Business Section of the New York Times, because like probably every other woman in America, I have problems buying clothes when I go shopping because I am never the same size in two different brands of clothing. (An Example: I was shopping for pants for my job two weeks ago. With one random obscure brand of khakis I found at Macy's, I was a size seven. With another brand? I was a size nine. And then I went to Target. In their Mossimo brand pants, I was a size 11. I'm pretty sure in the three hours I spent shopping my size did not change that much (especially since the first pair of pants I tried was the size nine, then the seven, and then 11. I really don't think I went down two pants sizes in half an hour, and then back up four pants sizes two-and-a-half hours after that.)

So this story intrigued me, and I was even more intrigued when I saw it had multi-media components attached. Sadly though, I don't the New York Times did a good job with the package as a whole.

I did like the article. I felt it was well-reported and well-written, and the various brands and stores mentioned in the piece give a nice overview of different brands that might suit different women (from high-end Marc Jacobs, to more moderately priced lines like American Eagle and Old Navy).
The multi-media attached to this article though is honestly not worth being called such. There are a total of two photos (ones which don't serve too much purpose, except to give the readers an idea of the machines that give them the full-body scan that can tell them what sizes they should buy in each store). They seem a little useless out of context.
The other multi-media component is a chart that is supposed to show where each brand's version of size eight falls. But to be honest, the chart is a bit confusing. Most of it makes sense, because it shows where a woman would fit as a size eight based on her bust size, waist size, and hip width, but there are a bunch of different colored lines on the chart which are supposed to represent the different brands, but they truly cross all over the place, and it's a bit hard to figure out exactly which line belongs to each brand. And it's honestly not really interactive-so it's hard to genuinely like it.

My second package I chose was one the New York Times did called "Haitians Forced Out of Tent to Homes Just as Precarious." This one however, did not disappoint me. It consists of a print article, a photo slideshow, and an interactive feature.

Like my example of the bad package, I do like how this article is written. It is also well-reported and well-written, and I feel I learned a lot about the current situation in Haiti, something that is actually still appalling considering the Hurricane that ravaged the country happened nearly a year-and-a-half ago now.

The photo slideshow is another excellent component of the overall package. While not entirely stand-alone, they do tell enough of a story to give those who look at them at least a general idea of what is going on. They are also extremely well composed and shot, and actually tug at the emotions a bit-iyt's hard not to feel bad for the people of Haiti because they're still going through this.

The interactive multi-media attachment is actually not one strict one that is recent and specific to this article, which is both a negative and a positive. There's nothing new or fresh to go with this newer story out of Haiti, but the fact that it links to one audio story, 20 videos, 18 slideshows, and nine interactive features, which range in date from when the Hurricane first hit Haiti in January 2010 to April 2010, do give a nice comprehensive look at the coverage the Times gave the story, at least in those three months. There is truly a lot to look into. It just would be a little bit nicer if there were a few more recent attachments.

Well well well

2011-04-05T02:30:00.017-04:00

I typed in "multimedia journalist portfolio" into Bing. I went top to bottom of about two pages until I found not only a fantastic portfolio set up, but also some cool stories. Style AND Substance...Bingo! The Andrew Zajic Seal of Approval goes to Ryan Loew. The guy really sets up his work in not only a visual way, but an interactive way. There is a video gallery right under Loew's header where you can scroll sideways on 10 of his videos.

Loew is now a multimedia producer for roanoke.com. He lives in Roanoke, Virgina after he made a move from Lansing, Michigan where he worked for the Lansing State Journal were he covered breaking news and in-depth interatctive journalism. This ia all shortened from his short biography. When you watch some of the videos and interactive features like Unmasking the Violence, Born with Skates On, or all parts of the Guily Until Proven Innocent. You can see from the videos that Loew worked in the Lansing community and did very in-depth and personal stories of the people in the community.

One of the coolest thing about his portfolio is the interactive journalism. Now videos on Ryan Loew's website have his voiceovers and even other reporters talking about the story in a news broadcast style. I would love to do at least one in-depth interactive project to put on my portfolio website, because they ooze with the characteristics "online" and "effort" and it can not be done in TV news or in words. Online video can go to broadcast TV, but interactive projects like the ones on Loew's website can not be done on any other media outlet but online.

I am considering doing VUVOX, but I hear it takes a good amount of effort to strap pieces of your work together and it's harder still to update, so I may want to attempt a portfolio website in Loew's style. It's eye-catching, but it doesn't fall flat to me like this one does. Yeesh... My perception of Kevin James was steamrolled when I saw style but I didn't see substance.

Walter Astrada's Online Portfolio

2011-04-05T01:54:00.021-04:00

Since I do not have a favorite online portfolio, I decided to peruse the world wide web in search of one I found to be interesting. I eventually stumbled upon photojournalist Walter Astrada's website. Astrada's site is full of compelling photography and his biography reveals an impressive list of journalistic awards that he's won.

Where Astrada's site seems to falter, however, is in its presentation. Though the site is simple and easy to navigate, any sign of attempts at creating individuality and a brand that Astrada could call his own seem to have gone neglected.

From the website's bland gray background, to it's miniature font, web design is something that Mr. Astrada should reconsider as we progress further into the era of online journalism.

Truth be told, when looking at a site like Astrada's, one should remember the old saying that the quality of a picture within a frame is more important than the frame itself.

Rachel Youens: Multimedia Journalist; "A whole new type of producer"

2011-04-04T20:32:00.001-04:00

In the brief bio on her homepage, Rachel Youens states, "I'm excited to be a producer in the age of the industry's reinvention, and I'm always seeking roles where I can combine my creativity, curiosity and technical knowledge."

Her website is comprised of a resume, clips she has produced, multimedia content and design, a blog, and even some clever jewelry pictures.

She also has links to her accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google and many more. She even has a tab that allows users to ask her questions.

I like this online portfolio because it is colorful and captures her quite well. The choice of layout is soothing and not aggravating to look at at all. The information is readily accessible and transparent. Youens seems like a pretty cool chick and the way her website is set up makes me want to find out more about her and it looks like it won't be hard to do so.

Portfolios Galore

2011-04-04T20:26:00.009-04:00

After having searched for online portfolios on more than one occasion and also having been disappointed with that fact that the same portfolios emerge each time one searches for "journalism portfolio" on Google (Google spiders can only index so much), I decided to change my process. This time around, I would search specifically for online journalists whose work I follow and check from there.

I was particularly impressed with Dai Sugano's portfolio, which I first saw during last week's class. In terms of color scheme and layout, it's actually a close representation of what my ideal mockup would look like if I were a photographer. Sugano features a web reel on the home page with a horizontal (and somewhat left-side skewed) strip of thumbnails for multimedia work.

It's a slick presentation and Sugano pays it forward by having some of the pieces redirect to the specific news site. He also clearly shows off his bilingual side by having his contact me page available entirely in Japanese. An interesting option for those lucky enough to be multilingual: have language options available for your entire site.

I also liked Times' photographer Moises Saman's site, which showcases gritty black and white images on a black background. Saman gives his portfolio a touch of drama by having his initial home page direct to only his name and a set of menu options against the black.

Sadly, I was unable to view "One in 8 Million" photographer Todd Heisler's portfolio. My guess is that none of the newsroom's macs could handle the heavy flash components. And LA Times photographer Francine Orr seems to be in the midst of creating a personal site (if that is indeed the same Orr).

However, Orr's colleague, Liz Baylen, did have a portfolio. Baylen opts for a clean looking site with a high premium on ease of navigability. My only gripe would have to be the fact that the home page is centered while the rest of the site is leaning left. Otherwise, the site is pretty consistent and it appeals to my minimalist nature.

Having criticized the professionals, I would be remiss to not mention my own portfolio site, which I currently am in the midst of overhauling. Suggestions are welcome!

Online Portfolio

2011-04-04T18:34:00.011-04:00

I used Media Bistro to find some pretty cool online portfolios. One that caught my eye was that of Lauren M. Rabaino.

Her site as a whole clearly demonstrates her passion for all things journalism

"Journalism is my trade. Design is my passion. I work at the intersection of the two."

Everything is neatly organized and labeled either "web design," "graphic design," or "writing." However, the fact that her homepage is just her most recent blog posts is a little abrupt. I think an introductory home page, like a cover letter of sorts, would greatly improve her site.

Also, I don't understand why so many people have portfolios that viewers must 'sign in' to see. What if I don't have an account on that site and don't want one? Next.

Check out Smashing Magazine's site on creating a successful online portfolio.

Joe Allen-Black: Online Portfolio

2011-04-04T13:56:00.007-04:00

Photo Credit: jmblack.com

When I was looking for an online portfolio, I searched for someone that I can relate to, as well as other students studying journalism at Stony Brook. During my search I found a web-developer and producer named Joe Allen-Black. He's in his 20's and has been through a similar experience that we're going through now.

Allen-Black graduated from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications in 2005, was the editor of his university's newspaper and interned at five newspapers during college. Now he works for the Boston Globe/Boston.com, but he's also worked for the Jacksonville.com/The Florida Times-Union as a digital media data and projects developer.

His portfolio opens with a home page that shows his recent work. There's also a menu that includes his resume, writing work, an "online showcase", and about page. The site is easy to navigate through and has a clean, straightforward layout.

Clearly, Allen-Black was striving big while he was at the University of Florida. Five internships is a lot for a student! But thinking about how he was in our shoes a few years ago made me more interested in him than other professional online journalists.

As for myself, I have an online portfolio that I started while I was interning at the Stony Brook Independent during my sophomore year. I hadn't touched it for a year since then, but recently as I've produced more packages and articles, I've started posting the good ones to my portfolio. I also changed the layout since my internship because it looked a little too artsy before, and updated my resume as I gained experience.

Brian Aguilar: web portfolio

2011-04-04T13:33:00.007-04:00

We all understand the importance of an online presence for aspiring journalists, but we often forget that established reporters must too create online avenues for potential employers to view their work. Wall Street Journal editorial project manager Brian Aguilar's web portfolio does just that, displaying his web designing, flash, print, video and photography skills.

The page's design, in my opinion, is almost perfect with two glaring exceptions: the over-sized photograph of Aguilar and the rather unprofessional white flame background. Otherwise, the videos and projects that Aguilar designed are easily accessible by scrolling down to the respective sections on the page.

This site's strong suit is that it's easy to navigate. It's simple, clean and loads quickly. Some web designers tend to build heavily coded sites that might cause problems with some computers. Aguilar decides to let the viewer see his more web design intense work through links to the sites of the publications that he produced them for, saving him hosting space. This is a potential pitfall however, if the sites neglect to maintain their archives.

This portfolio gets the job down, putting all of the journalists work in the same place. One HUGE problem: the URL is http://unplan.org/. How about BrianAguilar.com? I cannot imagine how he might expect one to find his website with a name like that.

Geoffrey Hauschild's web portfolio

2011-04-04T10:25:00.000-04:00

I chose the web portfolio of self-proclaimed visual storyteller Geoffrey Hauschild. The portfolio is a collection of video, photographs and audio slideshows, showcases Hauschild skills with a camera.

Hauschild is a photographer for the Vindicator, a daily newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio University's School of Visual Communication.

Its a relatively standard web portfolio and it is easy to navigate. The website contains an assortment of his work from sports to various interest stories told in several formats.

The page has opens with a photo slideshow of Hasuchilds best photos. You can click on links to see specified stories in sections. He also has an attached blog, but comments are not allowed.

The website does not seem to have any links to social media or tabs to share the photo or story on Facebook. I think this is a misstep by Hauschild. The portfolio is kind of bland and boring.

I do not have a photojournalism portfolio and have no plans of making one.

Online Portfolios

2011-04-03T15:40:00.006-04:00

Photo Credit: RachelYouens.com

I really like the web portfolio of Rachel Youens, a Web Producer and Multi-Media Journalist. I think she provides an eye-catching design, and combines it well with a full offering of her work.

Youens shows how important it is to "own your name," and her portfolio is the first three links that pop up when her name is typed into Google. In fact, the entire first page of results, with the exception of one (an artist with the same name), are all linked back to her, including her Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook Profiles.

As for her actual online portfolio, she has a fairly simple home page, detailing what makes Web Producers so important, and briefly mentioning her skills as one. Also on her home page (and every page for that matter), are links to contact her by email, download her resume, view her LinkedIn and Google Profiles, Twitter, and other social networking tools.

Her resume is actually impressive, with a fairly large amount of experience at different publications and companies from 2002-2010, relevant coursework from her studies at UT Austin, her skills, and volunteer experiences.

The rest of her portfolio is divided by sections, including her Multimedia work with video for TV and Websites, her design work for various magazine covers and websites, her written stories and clips, personal artwork, and a blog.

I also have my own online portfolio, which is still a work in progress, but has nearly all of my published clips throughout my college career posted to it, from clips in the Suffolk County Community College Compass, a Narrative piece I wrote for Chicken Soup for the Soul: College Campus Chronicles, about my experience at Cornell University, and various news briefs and film reviews from my internship at TheCelebrityCafe.com, and current pieces written for The Stony Brook Press.

New York Times Paywall

2011-04-01T12:00:00.002-04:00

Last week the New York Times, which has faced declining profits for years, announced it will begin charging for access to its website. The policy, which took effect in the US on March 28, reflects the new reality newspapers face in the internet age.

As the internet continues to grow the newspaper industry continues to shrink, literally. Daily U.S. newspaper circulation which stood at 62.3 million in 1990 now stands at roughly 43.4 million, a decline of 30%. As a result papers like the New York Times have shrunk page size to save money. A recent Pew Research Poll reported that for the first time more Americans get their news from online than from newspapers.

"I had a teacher in high school tell me that by 2020 print newspapers will be obselete," says Priti Domadia, 20, of Searington, NY. "I am not sure about that, but it is obvious that everything is trending online, and they need to make more money off of that."

Charging users for online content is not a new strategy for the paper. Six years ago it briefly implemented a fee for its columnists but dropped the policy after it negatively affected website traffic. The NYTimes page will be free to for everyone which is similar to how the Wall Street Journal, the largest pay site, operates its site.

Readers can view up to 20 articles every four weeks for free, including all the features that go with those articles. After one reaches the 20 article limit, the charge is $15 every four weeks for full access to the site and smartphone apps. Readers who come to Times through links from social media and blog sites can access those articles free of charge. Reports say that for some search engines users will have a daily limit of free links to articles.

For $35, readers get full access on all platforms including apps. Home delivery subscribers will get all access at no extra charge. All in all a full online subscription will cost up to $455 which dwarfs the $207 yearly online fee the Wall Street Journal charges. When compared with the cost of a yearly subscription ($285 the first year), the online subscription seems a bit steep.

Just ask Marcus Carab of Techdirt.com who asks Is The New York Times Paywall Just a Ploy to Sell Subscriptions?

"Of course they are, says Hofstra student Makis Konstatatos."It is similar to the healthcare bill. Businesses who do not provide healthcare to their employees will be made to pay a fine which is cheaper than paying for the health benefits. That is a road to single payer. For the Times, their pay policy is a road to more traditional print subscriptions, or so they hope."

Extra Credit Analysis - The New York Times Pay wall

2011-04-01T10:31:00.048-04:00

On March 28th, 2011, the New York Times implemented a pay wall upon its online audience. The pay wall - the Times' second attempt at incorporating such an economic aspect to its website - brings up several issues when considering news on the web entirely. In analyzing business tactics used by news organizations, one can see how the internet presents a significant challenge. The internet is undoubtedly poised to become the heart and soul of journalism, with print publications already lagging significantly behind the modern medium. With this in mind, one can see why the Times would impose on the pockets of its online audience, as online business models are becoming exponentially more relevant.

The specifics of the Times' recent implementation of a pay wall are as follows:

-Twenty free article reads each month
-Anymore require a digital subscription
-$15 - $35 for four weeks
-Basic concept: free access for occasional readers, payment for heavy readers
-Print subscribers get free full access

Before implementing its current pay wall, the Times first dabbled in such economic aspects with Times Select. Times Select, dropped by the Times in 2007, forced online readers to pay $49.95 per year, or $7.95 monthly. The Times is not the only publication to have made such an effort, however. Next to its current model are six others currently put in place by other publications. As these publications, such as Newsday and the Financial Times, fiddle with the concept of priced web content, one may wonder if a pay wall model has a chance at becoming widespread. Such a thought becomes even more relevant when considering the influence of the Times throughout the world of journalism.

"I think the idea of people paying for content goes well for the business and for writers, photographers, designers, and people with ideas," says Melissa Chessher, associate professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications. "I do think it's a good idea. I think the only way that we're going to get other ideas is to start somewhere. That's the important next step is people paying for content. I don't think there's a quick solution. It's going to be trial and error."

The trial and error theory mentioned by Chessher is already evident in pay wall failures by publications such as the Irish Times, Atlantic Monthly, and Manchester Confidential. It's still early in the Times' current pay wall's life, though conclusions can already be drawn about its structure.

"After clicking through 20 articles on the site, further access was blocked by a pop-up message politely requesting I subscribe to read more," says associate editor of marketing and media for Mashable, Lauren Indvik in her article The New York Times Paywall: Yes, It Works. "I was still able to read a seemingly unlimited number of articles if I clicked through from Facebook, Twitter, or another online publication."

In her article, Indvik goes on to mention how, realistically, only a small percentage of Times' readers are impacted by the pay wall. "It won't impact lighter readers, and those who arrive at Times.com from search or social media," says Indvik. "I fall in the latter category and I suspect many of you do, too."

The incorporation of social media surely impacts the effectiveness of the pay wall, and leaves open the question: Was the Times aware of such a loophole? If so, one may consider the sheer magnitude of the publication as justification for such neglect. The Times is one of the most acknowledged national publications, which also could factor into how influential its current pay wall model could be upon smaller newspapers.

"We only have three national papers," says Robert Papper, professor of journalism, media studies, and public relations at Hofstra University. "The New York Times has an audience that other places don't have. The problem with a pay wall is that they can't make it work all the way across the market."

With Papper's analysis of pay walls in mind, the Times pay wall seems like more of a baby step in the direction of priced online news content. Smaller, less-influential publications would have trouble adjusting the pay wall scheme to create significant revenue, according to Papper.

"The question is, 'Can you take their business model and apply it?'," says Papper. "The Times has a staggeringly large number of people who use the website. So the Times makes money on their website not through advertisers. They're a national force. But other newspapers don't have this. It's not easy to convert what the Times are doing. It's a whole 'nother thing to transfer a business model."

All things considered, it's tough to see how drastic of an impact the New York Times will have on journalism with it's new pay wall. It's also tough to see if the pay wall will be successful at all, being that it was only established less than a week ago. But being that the pay wall only places emphasis on heavy online readers, one can conclude that its reach and impact will not be of a grandiose manner.

I think that the pay wall will be a successful one, yet only on its intended scale. The Times will see a revenue stream through the implementation of the pay wall, but perhaps its easier to view their attempt as more of an experiment than as a shot at creating a standard model for the industry.

The Marlboro Marine

2011-03-29T09:35:00.005-04:00

Having always heard of and never actually seen "The Marlboro Marine," I decided to finally take a look at the video and see if it was long-form. At 16 minutes, it definitely requires a bit more commitment than your typical web video.

Shot by the LA Times' Luis Sinco, "The Marlboro Marine" is a look into the psychosis of war through the eyes of Marine lance corporal James Blake Miller, a veteran of the Iraq War. While not necessarily a web video, the mostly audio slideshow (and I'll explain why I say "mostly" later) incorporates stop motion aspects and strong images throughout.

The monotony of the photographs is broken up by brief text slides--which unfortunately at 16 minutes, rakes up to a lot of text despite being relatively short per slide.

I say "mostly" slideshow because towards the very end of the video, at around 13 minutes in, is actual video of Sinco as the video attempts to explore the connection between the two men following Sinco's deep embed with the unit. While the voiceover of Sinco isn't that jarring, after watching 13 minutes of audio slideshow, it is a bit weird to finally see interview video.

Long-Form: Dan Rather Sums It Up

2011-03-29T02:37:00.003-04:00

This long-form piece on the presidential election of 1984 between incumbent Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale allowed viewers to understand the fundamental differences between the candidates. Objective videos such as these have allowed more people to become involved in politics (or at least be more informed of what is going on in politics) by highlighting not only major idealogical differences between two parties or candidates, but also by emphasizing different beliefs on specific issues as well.

Family farms are awesome. Ones shot by Danny Wilcox Frazier, at least.

2011-03-29T00:48:00.029-04:00

After watching Danny Wilcox Frazier's piece on a family farm in Iowa, my mindset on long-form web videos was altered. Since we started analyzing web videos, I've been convinced that it was simply the nature of web audiences to reject any part of a video past three or four minutes. Yet, Frazier's piece made me feel that perhaps it's the way that video has been presented via the internet causing such a rejection.

I found 'Family Farm' to be a riveting story told through a morose black and white filter with little more than the sound of a family's voices driving it. At six minutes and forty-four seconds, the video would undoubtedly be considered lengthy in comparison to other web videos. Yet, the stylistic manner of Frazier's work kept me interested until the end.

Frazier does not neglect reporting either. He allows the Stutzman family to tell their sad story in a way that adds detail and draws viewers in emotionally at the same time.

Leveling Appalachia

2011-03-28T22:08:00.007-04:00

This is a long LONG video (approx. 20 minutes) that I watched so you didn't have to...

In a all seriousness, when you have the time, please watch the Media Storm video. Even if you just watch the first five minutes, at least watch some of it. It's a journey that we embark on with the community.

I'll get the problems I have with the video out of the way: in the beginning we hear a lot of quotes from people. "People." We do not know which are residents and which are experts. We find out later on, but this is a style issue. I can see the reasoning, though, the people on the video all start talking and they are now part of this conversation. Did I mention the video was long? Once everybody starts talking to us, we learn who each one is later in the video. Lower thirds are not thrown at us all at once. I would have given the people some "audio room," but that's just me.

One interview is shot terribly, even if it is a style, it is a bit frustrating to look at. The interview is of Bo Webb and he shows up with a lower third at 14:06. We only see one and a half eyes. I don't like it too much. We could of seen him from the angle it is and Webb's whole face.

Aside form those two things, I like that this video was able to include people from the other side, the ones who use mountaintop removal. I did not agree with what these people had to say, but showing them is an attempt at fairness. The more compelling aspect of the video is the plight mountaintop removal has on the residents.

All of the b-roll is amazing. It all works well with the story. We see residents, town hall meeting, experts testing drinking water, effects on nature, half-destroyed mountains, protests, and b-roll of explosions. I was surprised at how close some of the video was shot near the explosions.

This long-form video has it all. I don't think the video could be shortened. It was very informative all around and still incredibly compelling. From the video itself, I take away that mountaintop removal does more then bring down mountains, it has a host of other effects. The video lets me see just how devastating.

Long-Form Video: Undesired

2011-03-28T10:30:00.007-04:00

In India, all women must confront the cultural pressure to bear a son. The consequences of this preference is a disregard for the lives of women and girls. From birth until death they face a constant threat of violence. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/undesired

Undesired is a long-form video from MediaStorm about the violence against women in India. I found this front-and-center on the home page and checked it out, since I'm always open to learning about other cultures.

What I found shocked me. I definitely learned about the Indian culture, but not in a way I expected. Like in China, Indian parents value boys more than girls. But since abortions are illegal based on gender, parents will often abandon their newborn girls in hospitals or shelters.

This was only the beginning. The women who gave birth to the girls are treated horribly by their husbands and in-laws, and are only valued for producing sons. One of the reasons that this happens is because the parents need to pay dowries for their daughters and lose money, while they gain money for having sons. When there are multiple daughters, this can run the family out of their money.

In one scene, a woman was giving birth and the in-laws were anxiously waiting outside the delivery room. When the husband's sister was handed the newborn, the first thing she did was to check the baby's sex. The baby turned out to be a girl, and all the family could do was stand around in silence.

I couldn't believe what I was watching! A part of me was trying to understand that this was India's culture, but a greater part of me sympathized with those women who were treated like "machines". It made me sick to my stomach and angry. Reflecting back, I can take these feelings as a way of showing that Walter Astrada did an amazing job.

On a last note, the video was over 12 minutes long, which is pretty lengthy for a web video. Despite this, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen the entire time. Undesired was a really deep video, a lot deeper than I set out to find. But I'm glad I found it, and it left me wanting to find out more.

Long Form Video: Recording History that Often Goes Forgotten

2011-03-27T22:14:00.014-04:00

Several times our class has debated what constitutes journalism, particularly in video and multimedia pieces. Does the level of difficulty involved in creating a piece factor into its journalistic value? Can anyone produce journalism? What does real journalism look like?

New York Reacts, produced by Ray Farkas and featured on MediaStorm.com, does not look like it was hard to make. In fact, it seems profoundly simple. The videographer pieced together clips of New Yorkers candidly reacting to the 9/11 terrorist attacks through conversation with one another. The piece lasts about eight minutes.

The subjects are clearly wearing hidden microphones, though they otherwise make very little indication that they are aware of the filming. The video quality is most probably intentionally degraded (almost like VHS) and some shots are blatantly back-lit.

This to me, despite the aforementioned qualities, is profound journalism. New York Reacts is a snapshot of the times, not necessarily capturing the facts behind the event, but rather the emotion of those affected. The feelings and reactions of the victims are as important as the details of the attacks.

Years form now there will be no shortage of newspaper articles and hard news packages about 9/11 for those who wish to research the aftermath of the attacks to peruse. From these documents they may find background information, context and figures that quantify death and destruction. There will be fewer pieces however, that offer insight into the anger, confusion and sadness that seized hearts of New Yorkers immediately following the tragedy. New York Reacts does just that.

This journalism is different, it seeks to convey another side of the story. The value of this piece and others like it will be easier to appreciate as time goes on. When the wounds begin to heal, we will have an eight minute snapshot of emotion to remind us where we once were.

Long Form Web Video: Close to Home

2011-03-27T21:03:00.004-04:00

Roxanne Pickering is a Brooklyn resident bound by family and economics to live near the Gowanus Canal, a polluted waterway recently declared an EPA superfund site. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/training/close-to-home

I selected the video Close to Home by Mary Beth Meehan, Michele Asselin, and Maria Finitzo, from Mediastorm as an example of good long form video on the web.

The video tells the story of Roxanne Pickering, a Brooklyn resident who is forced to live near the extremely polluted Gowanus Canal, which was declared an EPA Superfund Site on March 2nd 2010 , because of family and her economic situation. She is raising a 6-year-old daughter, Virginia, in the area. Her home is next to an abandoned building that warns of rat poison, on the same block as the Canal.

The story is well told through dialogue, in interviews with Roxanne Pickering and a friend, Betty Lester, who has lived in the area for 40 years. The use of stop-motion photography in parts of the video also helps, by telling the smaller sub story of how much a mother loves her young daughter, while the video itself manages to tell the larger story, which is her concern that she will find out later in life that the air isn't safe to breathe in, something that especially troubles her because she doesn't want to harm her daughter's health. She even says in the video that she would hate herself for having her kids live there.

The music is pretty minimal in the video, and doesn't really suggest any certain mood in the few parts it is used. it seems to serve more to just aid transitions between shots in the video, or to have some sound accompaniment when photos are used. It could probably be argued though that it does add a little bit of a sadder tone to the story.

Overall I think the video (which runs for 6 1/2 minutes) is wonderful. I think it strikes the right balance with interviews, and the photography and video is wonderful. The story also has a nice flow. It never feels like anything is forced.

Mr. Blues: along web video

2011-03-27T14:41:00.001-04:00

http://www.mediastorm.com/training/mr-blues

The long web video I selected was Mr. Blues by Benjamin Norman with photography by Mariana Bazo. The video can be found on Mediastorm.com

The video tells the story of Harlem's history and urban renewal through the Paris Blues bar. The bar's owner is Samuel Harress Jr., who reflects many of the changes on the legendary New York neighborhood.

The video makes great use of natural sound to truly capture the sounds of the bar environment. The video use dialogue to pass time in the long video, much like a well written narrative piece.

Although, I am usually not a fan of music in video pieces, the videographer utilizes music in only certain parts of the video, and therefor the music does not insist on the mood of the video.

I do feel like some of the video is too dark and does not capture the neon lights of a bar. I feel like the photos did a better job capturing this atmosphere.

The video was a bit to long, clocking in at around 9 minutes, and had way too many moments of inaction. There were several scenes where nothing was going on. But i still enjoyed the video because it let the subjects tell their story and the videographer did not interfere with an over abundance of unnecessary effects.

Ralph Nader Speaks at Stony Brook

2011-03-23T09:29:00.017-04:00

Its not often that you hear John Lennon during a political speech, but that’s just what happened when Ralph Nader came to Stony Brook.

Nader, a four-time presidential candidate for the United States, spoke to hundreds of students and faculty at Stony Brook University on Tuesday. During his 90-minute speech, Nader riled up the audience with his views on healthcare, dominating corporations, and nuclear power.

“I have a fire in my belly,” said Nader, who was speaking at Stony Brook on behalf of their Undergraduate Student Government. He urged students to act out and become more aware of what was going on around them.

Nader began by giving a startling statistic on current healthcare in the United States, saying that 800 people die every day due to lack of healthcare insurance, and compared that statistic to other countries who don’t have that problem.

Then to make his point on mega corporations, the independent-affiliated politician engaged the audience by asking how much money they thought the CEO of Wal-Mart earned per hour. The answer was a $10,000. “By noon, he’s making more money than one of his employees does in an entire year” he said.

Nader then took some time to play Lennon’s 1970 song “Working Class Hero.” The lyrics gave context to Nader’s beliefs on how capitalism and major corporations affect the common man. “When they’ve tortured and scared you for twenty odd years. Then they expect you to pick a career. When you really can’t function you’re so full of fear. A working class hero is something to be.”

The song ended to thunderous applause, and Nader moved on to his next target, nuclear power. Nader made a point to repeat President Barak Obama’s statement on Japan’s disaster with nuclear power plants after the tsunami and earthquake.

“He said that we have a ‘responsibility to learn from this event,’” said Nader, who aggressively questioned why the United States still uses nuclear power. He emphasized that there were other methods that could be used instead that aren’t dangerous, like wind or solar energy.

His answer was that it would put oil, natural gas, and utility companies in jeopardy, bringing his argument against corporations full-circle.

Nader went as far to raise a point that may have surprised some listeners. He claimed that as United States citizens, the audience owned a part of everything from radio stations to national parks. But then he questioned why the average American couldn’t make more of an impact on what they had, like having their own radio show, or “an occasional hour on the air.”

Before Nader ended his speech, he encouraged the students to depend less on their electronic devices and social networking in order to become more aware of the current problems that their nation faces.

When Nader walked off the stage that night, the audience who listened to him may have come away with a different understanding on what kind of an impact they could have. They may also have a new insight on why they should be more concerned with what the United States government is doing on their behalf.

Everyblock tries to be a social network for your neighborhood

2011-03-22T07:49:00.006-04:00

Everyblock.com relaunched with a new design that encourages collaboration among the community, according to mashable.com

The site originally was more like a newsfeed of pure information, now has a more social network feel behind it. Well, at least in theory the site acts as a social network but not for all neighborhoods featured. Everyblock.com features many large metropolitan cities. I do not think the urban communities are aware of the site just yet.

A quick check of my old block in Brooklyn had zero conversations started by community member or other wise. But trendy areas of New York City like Tribeca, seem to have a more active community.

The site has neighborhood specific news but it is not in article format, instead it is offered in an almost blurb format.

Everyblock.com list everything from crime, real estate listings, and local business reviews, but without much detail. The blocks that are detailed do very good job concentrating on news from their designated areas, but there are no photographs or videos.

The site has partnered with Groupon to display local deals and discounts. Groupon is an MSNBC-owned property and will take a cut of the profits. Everyblock will also be running Google ads for revenue.

It will be interesting to see if the new goal of everyblock.com garners more web traffic then in the past.

The Guardian Goes Local

2011-03-21T23:17:00.008-04:00

The Guardian, the second most read English language newspaper behind only the New York Times, has launched a three pronged hyper-local initiative, covering different regions of the country: Leeds, Cardiff, and Edinburgh.

Launched in February 2002, the GuardianLocal operates on a blog platform. Most of the stories do not exceed three of four paragraphs, though some do go on substantially longer. Each region has its own page on the website, managed by a different "beat-blogger" who writes the majority of the posts. The pages are updated rather frequently, perhaps five stories a day on average.

The individual pages do a good job of concentrating on their designated areas. The coverage is not incredibly in depth but the stories are well told, sometimes including polls and other interactive tools for readers. The focus is placed on local issues like high-speed rail construction and local university protests. I also notices a googlemaps embed that pinpointed potholes on local roads.

View Potholes on Leeds' roads in a larger map

The stories often feature well-taken photographs presumably taken by freelancers. The frequent updates and the volume of reporting largely accredited to the individual beat-blogger for each region lead me to believe that the operation is relatively cheap to produce. The web hosting costs and the salaries of the bloggers are the only overhead that come to mind immediately. There are several advertisements featured on each page, indicating that there is some source of revenue.

I do however, not know how many visitors the sites enjoy per day. Some of the articles have as few as 15 comments on them. In my opinion, the journalism is good, but if the interest in hyper-local content is not there, this initiative (still called experimental by the Guardian) may be doomed to fail. This has implications for the model of hyper-local journalism as a whole. Is there genuine interest. Does it exist in some places and perhaps not in others?

Favorite Hyper-Local Website

2011-03-21T20:08:00.007-04:00

Photo credit: simsbury.patch.com

Simsbury Patch is my favorite hyper-local website. I use it to keep up with the news from my hometown. It covers the greater Simsbury area, including West Simsbury, Simsbury Center, Weatogue, and Tariffville.

Most of Simsbury Patch's articles are dedicated to covering town hall news, profiling local shops and restaurants, and keeping up with Simsbury High School's sports teams. They also alert readers about upcoming events.

The articles are written by a mix of people from trained journalists to soccer moms. I'll emphasize on the locals contributing because they are the voice for what the town wants on the site. This, in my opinion makes this site a success.

Simsbury Patch is easy to navigate with links that have weather forecasts, school news, police and fire news, and calendars. It also provides links to other town's "patches" that are nearby.

As a Simsbury resident this site is perfect. It tells me everything I need to know. I especially like the Police Blotter for some local gossip, but so does everyone else - secretly of course. While I'm at school, I'll check this site out to catch up on what's going on back home.

What's special to me isn't necessarily special to those outside the Simsbury community. Outsiders don't care about how the Trojans are doing, when the next church potluck dinner is, or who sold what house to who for how much. For those living in town though, it is special.

Overall Simsbury Patch serves its purpose as a great resource for town news. I know that I appreciate its coverage on the latest happenings in town and I'm sure other locals do too.

The Times Goes Local

2011-03-21T18:57:00.006-04:00

"The Local" is The New York Times' take on hyperlocal with a Brooklyn flair, providing readers with the latest happenings in increasingly trendy Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

The contributors to the blog are not Times reporters, but ambitious CUNY Grad school students that post everything from dining reviews and artsy features to some harder-hitting posts that shows off its Times' edge like stories on NYPD surveillance, crime trend reports, and the latest on the controversial Atlantic Yards project.

Upon first impression, the joint effort between the Times and CUNY Grad reads more like a food/entertainment blog than a hard news venture with more than a few dining-related posts. But it is more sophisticated than your typical one-person-run neighborhood blog, integrating multimedia and crowd sourcing strategies such as "The Fridge."

Of particular interest is the "Virtual Assignment Desk," a notice appealing to both the citizen journalist and the citizen editor in all of us--readers have the choice to pick up stories for "The Local" or assign a story for the blog's staff to tackle.

Like any good hyperlocal page, "The Local" prominently displays a twitter feed, an events calendar, a real estate directory, and tosses it back to the rest of the blogosphere with a blogroll listing other hyperlocal sites.

Being a Brooklynite myself who went to high school in this area, I think the blog does a sufficient job in covering both neighborhoods, which are up and coming restaurant havens. However, I would have liked to see more about the neighborhood in terms of real estate stories as both areas have been increasingly gentrified.

Hyper Local News with a Twist

2011-03-20T16:22:00.032-04:00

When we say hyper local, what do we mean? Is it something like what Patch.com does? Patch.com is an aggregation of many hyper local news sites fractured among the different towns and neighborhoods it has writers available to cover them. This kind of concept of aggregating news for many towns to create a mosaic of what is going on in a particular state can also be found in an online publication called the Twin Cities Daily Planet. It is sort of a Patch.com version geared in the state of Minnesota for the cities Minneapolis and St. Paul.

What I particularly like about this hyper local news site is its attempt to bring what happens locally in either St. Paul or Minneapolis to a global audience. These stories usually pertain about people from around the world whom happen to live in Minnesota. At least, that's the common characteristic of global reach I got from the articles I found.

When I clicked on St. Paul under the website's Neighborhoods tab, I was brought the another menu of neighborhoods within St. Paul. I chose the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood and I saw that this neighborhood had many articles, but was it well covered? The problem with trying to reach a global audience through local happenings is that you need to tell your audience where these things are happening. All the writers of the articles, I have read, assume you know where the place is by sometimes mentioning neighborhood streets. The neighborhoods each have a description, but I will not go back to the neighborhood description when I see a street name in the written story. I want to know as I read each article.

Here is a "story" that is more like an invitation to the events where it is implied many students will attend. The headline says that Martin Luther King Day is more than a day off for students. The article should be about how many students went to these events and what they have to say about the holiday being more than a holiday.

Since this Macalester-Groveland neighborhood has pages of news, "neighborhood notes," and sometimes a feature article it transforms away from the "local to global" approach the Twin Cities Daily Planet tag lines itself with and into more of a hyper local news website. When it has a chance to take a local event and tune it for a more global audience, it does. The story compares and contrasts the stories of an immigrant to the United States, from 50 years ago to a more recent immigrant. The immigrant that immigrated to the States from 50 years ago is a Jewish man named Steven Foldes who came here on a boat. The more recent immigrant is someone named Washington Yonly who came from Liberia. This story stems from the local aspect of Minnesotans meeting to bloom to a more global aspect of these Minnesotans being from different parts of the world and sharing their stories and views on immigration.

Since this all comes from an online publication, it's a collection of journalists and citizen-writers to help create content for this community-aggregated web site. There was an attempt to foster some free speech controversy, but I am not getting it from either the info-blurb or the video. A better story would have been a feature story on one of the people with the apartment window behind the billboard. You know, the giant billboard taken down that was also blocking the view of those apartment windows.

The neighborhoods in either St. Paul or Minneapolis of the Twin Cities Daily Planet have what is called "neighborhood notes." Two of neighborhood notes for Macalester-Groveland were a speed limit change and a story about an Irish dancing school's first big concert coming up for St. Patrick's Day. It informs the community about events and news sometimes in a tidbit or even in a larger story.

Twin Cities Daily Planet also covers Minneapolis and the neighborhood I chose was Hiawatha. There were not many stories for this Hiawatha community, but the fewer the stories it had, the more of a global appeal it aspired for with stories like this and this.

What I am getting from this news website is that the less coverage a neighborhood has, the more likely the appeal to a global audience will be. When a neighborhood has more coverage, there is less drive for global appeal. But still, the global appeal is attempted when the story deserves it.

Hyperlocal Sites

2011-03-20T13:38:00.004-04:00

Photo Credit: Observer.com

I honestly find Patch to be a fairly decent example of hyperlocal journalism. I've checked out a lot of different sites, but I get the feeling that most of them just serve as aggregators of random facts and tidbits from areas, perhaps with a link to a local blogger. Patch actually hires reporters in addition soliciting content from readers, pulling articles from elsewhere, and providing the standard lists of events for that area, and business directories. I like the approach where actual reporters go out and cover things like the school board meetings, or even something smaller like the opening of a new restaurant, or an event in the town.

Another thing that I like about Patch is the variety of places that currently have coverage. I'm from Port Jefferson Station/Terryville, New York, which is covered by the Port Jefferson Patch site. I like that I have a site I can go to that specifically covers the area where I live, even if I don't go to it very often. I also like that I can tailor it specifically to other areas around my community as well, like Miller Place-Rocky Point Patch, Sachem Patch, and Three Village Patch, so I can see what is going on in the towns surrounding mine too.

This is in comparison to other local news outlets. While Newsday serves the Long Island community in general, it's very rare to see a story directly focused on my community. There is a Times-Record Newspaper for my area, which also specifically covers the Port Jefferson, Belle Terre, Port Jefferson Station, and Terryville areas. When it comes to a website, I like them as much as I like Patch, but in some ways i'm still a little bit old-fashioned and like reading them in an actual physical newspaper format. That's where my issue lies with them, because the paper only prints on a bi-weekly basis, so by the time I read that news, it's no longer as current.

Zumbathon

2011-03-15T07:05:00.001-04:00

The music is of a sultry tropical variety with the rapid thud of the timbales and drumbeats, mixed with the soulful strings of a Spanish guitar, the flourish of flutes and vocals in both Spanish and English.

These are the hot sounds of the first Zumbathon at Stony Brook University, which raised about $2,175 and attracted around 180 dance-enthusiast to the Student Activities Center (SAC) on Sunday.

A form of dance fitness, Zumba, is growing in popularity in America.

"Zumba is the hottest dance fitness program there is," said Kristi Tramposch, the Zumba instructor at the event, but who also teaches locally. "It is a fusion of Latin and international rhythms."

Tramposch teaches Zumba at the East Coast Black Belt Academy in Middle Island, NY and at On The Edge Dance Studio in Mt. Sinai, NY.

The two-hour dance fitness charity event was to benefit the Stony Brook Children's Hospital. Kristi Tramposch organized the Zumbathon in conjunction with Dean Bowen, the manager of fitness and wellness within Campus recreation, and featured area instructors Katia Jackson, Ed Velazquez, Brian Oakes, Elysa Krukowski and others.

"Today we are trying to raise money for the Stony Brook children's hospital,” said Dean Bowen. "I was approached by one of my Zumba instructors and she had an idea for a great fund raiser on campus. So we brain stormed together and came up with the Zumbathon."

The Stony Brook Children's Hospital is the only dedicated children's hospital east of the Nassau/Queens border and currently operates 100 pediatric beds with a faculty of more than 100 pediatric providers, according to its website.

"I have been working for the hospital for nine years now in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)," Tramposch said. "I know they have been trying to raise a lot of money and I thought Zumbathons are very well attended and I could do something."

Participants were encouraged by the Caribbean-Afro rhythms to move, shake and stumble through the blistering and invigorating pace of the fitness routine.

"It is fun and you can burn up to a 1,000 calories an hour," Tramposch said. "People feel like they are at a party. They do not feel like they are working out and everybody has a good time."

Off-campus Zumba classes: On Mondays at 7:30 PM, Wednesdays 8PM and Fridays at 7:30 PM at On The Edge Dance studio in Mt Sinai. On Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 AM at East Coast Black Belt Academy on Middle Country Rd. Middle Island, NY.

Zumba at Stony Brook University: Mondays from 12:00 to 12:55 PM at the SAC Aerobics Studio, and Thursdays from 1 to 1:55 PM.

A Polar Plunge at the North Hempstead Beach Park

2011-03-15T05:55:00.010-04:00

FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE…and then they raced over the beach sand, barefoot and shrieking, with the ocean water coming up underneath them. They wore swimsuits and a sense of charity, while the wind roared back at them.

They were the Polar Plungers at North Hempstead Beach Park, in Port Washington, NY, on March 5th. As fast as the Plungers kicked and sprayed the water, they swished themselves around and zipped back out. One plunger threw her arms out in ever direction and screamed, “Towel! I need a towel!”

More than 450 Plungers soaked and froze at North Hempstead, marking the 7th annual Polar Plunge. They were, “Freezin’ for a Reason,” which is a fundraising event to raise money for athletes whom participate in the Special Olympics of New York.

“The Polar Plunges are the premier fundraising events. Without them, we couldn’t support the programs we have,” said Kristina Aquilone, spokeswoman for the Special Olympics of New York.

Daniel Fletcher, 23, was one of the Special Olympics athletes at the Polar Plunge, who soaked it up in roaring winds and cold waters. He has Down syndrome.

“When we first learned that he had Down syndrome, we committed ourselves to support him and raise him as we did all our other children,” said Edna Fletcher, 58, Daniel’s mom and a Special Olympics Coach from Brentwood, NY.

Daniel has been in the Special Olympics since he was five years old. He is active in 11 sports, some of which are horse riding, golf, power lifting, track and field, floor hockey, and his favorite sport: basketball.

“Another thing that’s really big and important to Daniel is helping people,” said Warren Fletcher, Daniel’s dad and a Special Olympics Coach, “he’s out there helping the younger athletes.”

“I like being here at the Polar Plunge. Polar Plunge will help me raise more money for all the athletes and coaches for Special Olympics,” Daniel said.

Before the Polar Plunge took place on March 5th, the online donation webpage showed about $30,000 raised. After the Saturday of “Freezin’ for a Reason,” the Special Olympics of New York garnered a grand total of about $70,000 at the North Hempstead Beach Park, according to Kristina Aquilone.

It has raised $700,000 after seven years of Polar Plunges.

Daniel went to the North Hempstead Polar Plunge last year and said it was “very cold, but he had to suck it up.”

Daniel sprinted over the beach sand and rammed straight through the water this year. His father followed and moseyed into the chill.

Plungers at the “Freezin’ for a Reason” event said last year at North Hempstead Beach Park had more of a polar feeling to it. It was raining and there were sheets of ice floating on the ocean water.

“This year it was like bathwater compared to last year,” said Alexa Gorman, 19, a sophomore from Stony Brook University. She was with her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, on the plunge team called Friends of Stony Brook. She and her plunge team raised about $1,500.

“I have a few family members who are in the Special Olympics and it’s really nice to see everyone come out and support it.”

Three more Plunges are planned in November of this year: one at St. Lawrence Seaway, a second one at Plattsburgh and the third one at Lake George.

21st Annual Bayport - Blue Point St. Patrick's Day Parade

2011-03-15T05:03:00.022-04:00

Over 25,000 people crowded the streets of Bayport - Blue Point on Sunday for the town's 21st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. A flood of green hats and Celtic memorabilia was contrasted by a blue sky hanging overhead.

The parade, which has become a beloved town tradition, allowed for all walks of Long Island life to march. From bearded bagpipers to elementary school martial artists, the parade contained a variety of groups that proved that the event was once again an astounding success.

"I came down because I happen to be Irish," said one Long Island native. "So for me it's a big deal, you know? Celebrate the heritage.."

Although the parade was marched in honor of the green-blooded, it was obvious - simply by being amongst the masses of non-Irish who lined Montauk Avenue - that its impact expanded to all within the community.

"We were talking about how we wish everyone could just randomly come out on the street anytime they wanted and not just on St. Patrick's Day," said one visitor from Dalton, Massachusetts who was attending with some friends from Bayport. "It's such a fun environment."

My Laundry Station

2011-03-15T03:53:00.004-04:00

The month of March tends to be the dirtiest time of the year here on campus. The snow has been replaced by mud, the roads are full of potholes and the skies are gray. The promise of spring and all it entails- flowers in bloom, green grass, leafy trees- keeps us yearning for a rebirth. We know that Mother Nature will soon clean up her act and let us ride the sunshine into summer.

As nature does its spring cleaning, so must the rest of us, and one man is leading the charge.

Mike Viviano, a native Long Islander, has teamed up with the university to provide students with a convenient and effective way to do, of all things, laundry. In January of this year his family-owned company, Laundry Station Services LLC, agreed to begin My Laundry Station as a pilot program at Stony Brook through its partnership with the Faculty Student Association.

My Laundry Station features a patent pending method which allows customers to place their dirty laundry in a laundry container and pick it up washed, dried and folded from the same container the next morning.

The service has been available to students for just over a month now through a laundry kiosk located in Kelly Quad, with another coming soon to H-Quad,

"We started the pilot at Stony Brook because every student needs to do laundry," says Viviano. "We decided to bring the laundromat to the customer."

The process is pretty straightforward. All one has to do is take his or her laundry to one of the kiosks and choose from several service/product options to use during the cleaning cycle and choose a payment method. Then, after providing basic contact information, he or she simply places their laundry bag into a container. A receipt with an estimated pick-up time will then be printed and laundry dropped off before 8 PM will be ready for pick up the following morning.

Reaction on campus has been generally positive, as evidenced by the FSA agreeing to the placement of another laundry kiosk in H-Quad.

“I absolutely think it is going to last," says H-Quad Resident Assistant Suzie Koneschusky. "Once they put one in every quad, it’s just going to take off. I know a ton of people on the other side of campus who won’t do it just because they don’t want to bring it here.”

That is precisely what Viviano is banking on.

"Hey, the way we see it is, what is there not to like about a laundry vending machine? At 60 cents a pound it’s very competitive."

Viviano, 32, entered into the laundry business with his parents in 2005. Together they own State of the Art Laundromat in Selden and Laundroplex in West Babylon. Selden is where all of the laundry taken from Stony Brook is done. While in grad school in 2010, Viviano hatched the idea of My Laundry Service. His parents liked the idea, and with relatively low overhead and some help from a cousin, things seem to be looking up.

"The truck is our moving billboard," he says pointing to the company delivery truck parked outside Kelly Quad.

"My cousin is a graphic designer so he is responsible for our look."

Aside from the marketing designs, will the service impress enough people here on campus?

Depends on who you ask.

“They replaced the movie kiosk with this? I’ll do your laundry for twenty bucks. Tell your friends," joked Felicia Weathers, Senior, Health Science.

"Fact is, we have gotten a great response here at Stony Brook and have begun talks with a couple other local universities,” Viviano said as he loaded the back of his truck with bags of laundry. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I have some dirty laundry to do.”

Spring cleaning indeed.

Commuter Students Masquerade Ball

2011-03-15T02:46:00.011-04:00

Stony Brook University’s Commuter Students Association (CSA) normally hosts small-scale educational and recreational events according to its president, senior Kirin Mahmud. But on the evening of March 4^th however, they did something a little different.

CSA provides programming and events for commuter students who might otherwise have little reason to visit the campus after their classes are over. This time, at the request of its members, CSA’s executive board decided to host an evening of music, mystery and dazzling costumes.

The executive board asked the members of the organization what type of events they would like to see. According to vice president Tiffany Fernandez, they responded that there were not enough dances held on campus. Fernandez got an idea.

“I thought, why not do a fun masquerade ball?” she said.

The planning began last semester and came to fruition in an evening filled with bumping music, energized dancing and colorful costumes.

“We don’t get to go to dorm parties as much,” said Mahmud. “So we were like, let’s have a nice formal event for commuters.”

Students came out in force. According to club treasurer Priya Sohi, the executive board feared going over capacity. At its max, the event held 120 students.

“It’s a very different diverse group of people,” said Mahmud. “Most of them are commuters so we’re really, really excited.”

As the evening wore on, ties were loosened, the lights got dimmer and the music grew louder. Donned in formal attire and an array of colorful, glossy masks, dancers flooded the floor, moving to the deafeningly loud rhythms that filled the room.

“Everyone’s having a great time with the dancing and the food is all gone,” said Fernandez. “It’s actually been a really successful event.”

“I am really enjoying tonight,” said Meghan Ryan, commuter student and guest at the event. “The dancing, the music, the lighting, everyone’s costumes. The masquerade is just a really great part of Stony Brook.”

Rolling With The Rebels: The Women of Long Island Roller Derby

2011-03-15T00:43:00.007-04:00

By: Jie Jenny Zou

When Mandy Bowman is not teaching her rambunctious crop of 7th and 8th graders the finer points of the American revolution in P.S. 140 on the Lower East Side, you can find her an hour drive's away in United Skates of America, a popular roller skating venue in Massapequa, Long Island.

"It's never too far to drive for derby," said the Brooklyn dweller who resides in Sunset Park.

For Bowman, the underground sport of roller derby is a way to stay in shape while relieving stress. "You get all those work-out endorphins--just make you happier in general all day long," said Bowman, who just made the team after trying out for the league in November.

The American History teacher was the one taking the tests when it came to roller derby, passing a skills test and a written test as her final stride into the league.

"I've always been a heavier girl," explained Bowman of her decision to take up the contact sport. "I was like alright, 'what sport can I play where I can use what i got?' Roller Derby. I'll get fast, I'll get steady and nobody's knocking me over."

The game of roller derby gained public attention with the release of such mainstream films as 2009's "Whip It," which capitalized on a female-dominated sport known for its physical aggression as well as the kitschy names and revealing attire of its players.

Based in Old Bethpage, the Long Island Roller Rebels, or L.I.R.R., is one of 70 women's flat track derby leagues across the country. According to L.I.R.R., the term "roller derby" originates in the 1920s with roller skate races; a far cry from the modern day sport that encompasses as much physical contact as hockey.

The league hosts all of its bouts at Skate Safe America in Old Bethpage, which converts its roller hockey venue for roller derby once a month on Saturday for a night of high-octane, rebellious skating fun.

Five skaters from each of the two teams are on the track at any given game, or 'bout,' which consists of individual plays called 'jams.' One member of each team is a 'jammer' and the other four are either 'pivots' or 'blockers.'

Jammers, who sport large colored stars on their helmets, score a point for each opposing team member that they pass along the track. The pivots and blockers make up the 'pack,' whose main duty is to impede the opposing team's jammer on her lap around the track by most means necessary--'hip-checks', 'booty-blocking' and just plain-old shoving.

But life on the flat track isn't all fishnet stockings and pink--it's also a lot of work.

"There's a minimum of about 12 to 15 hours a week," said All-Stars team captain Lauren Madonia a.k.a Captain Morgan. Madonia, who works as a surgical coordinator, said that derby is all about balance, both on and off the track.

That sentiment rings especially true for Mary Kate Amossi, a pastry chef and co-owner of "Villa Napoli" in Smithtown, who considers roller derby a lifestyle.

"My husband and I are very big sports fans and when I found out what derby was, it was really exciting because it's not just like another female sport that copies the male sport and no one really care about it,"said Amossi, whose moniker is the aptly-named "Anita Cookie." "People really don't follow the men's roller derby as much as the women's roller derby."

The full-time mother joined the league in 2008 before taking off for maternity leave and chalks up the unique sport as a cross between Nascar and hockey.

"This is something that I really love and want to show my daughter that this is a real sport and I hope one day that it's as mainstream as baseball and football and that it's something that she can do maybe," Amossi said.

Spectators are encouraged to sit as close to the action as safely possible, with most seasoned fans bringing along their own lawn chairs as impromptu trackside seats. Bouts are played in 30-minute halves for a full-hour game of non-stop hip checks and fast-paced laps. Players skate so rapidly around the oval flat track that they are often nothing more than a pink blur.

"Even though I'm getting older, I still like that pysicality of it," said Stephanie Finochio, who considers roller derby an alternative to the ho-hum gym routine. "Girls hitting you left and right, the track awareness, trying to score the points to jam and block people, and just so much going on and it's so much more exciting than going to the gym and working out or running."

The former pro-wrestler and current stunt woman is no stranger to physical pain, but is a newbie to roller derby, having recently passed her skills and written test.

"I could be thrown out of a moving car, falling down stairs, being set on fire, jumping off of buildings, so that's crazy, but there's a lot of down time in film-work," Finochio explained. "You're not constantly working out so you do need this kind of training to keep you in shape."

Clinical Psychologist Veronique Deutsch, a.k.a. Dr. Freudy N. Slip, spends her days working with special needs pre-schoolers doing mostly play therapy. But at night, Deutsch has her own personal form of play therapy--roller derby.

Deutsch began her side career in derby as a grad student, skating originally with the Penn Jersey She Devils--a derby league based in Philadelphia.

"When I joined my team in Philly, I was holding onto the wall," recalled Deutsch of her early beginnings. "I had not skated since a second grade brithday party."

As a seasoned skater, Deutsch has encountered her fair share of stereotypes when it comes to the misunderstood sport.

"Everybody thinks I punch everybody in the face and that I skate on a bank track," she said. "But then you just kind of explain to them that it's a real sport and that we have real teams, real rules--40 pages of rules--we have to take a written test, physicals test and people can't even believe it."

Rally for Education

2011-03-15T00:39:00.004-04:00

Stony Brook University students came together for the Day of Action in Defense of Public Education, on March 2, and rallied against recently proposed state budget cuts.

Governor Andrew Cuomo presented a budget to the New York Sate Assembly and Legislature that would result in a $10 million deficit in the state. As a result, Stony Brook University would lose 30 percent of its state allocation and students would face tuition increases.

“Public education is supposed to be accessible to middle and lower class students,” said ZAndy Homer, a member of the Radical Student Union and speaker at the rally, “we cannot privatize SUNY.”

One of the biggest points ralliers stressed was that the financial burden of the budget cuts would be unfair to students.

“There are other ways to get money into our university rather than taxing the students,” said Jessica Rybak, an organizer of the event and member of the Radical Student Union.

The rally took place at the same time as a panel discussion in regards to the fee increases, being held in the SAC auditorium.
Mike Carley, an organizer of the rally, called upon students to march into the meeting.

“Right now?” he asked. “Right now, right now, right now,” students shouted as they walked.

As students pilled into the SAC auditorium, campus police followed them. However the excitement died down as students addressed the panel, voicing their concerns directly to a small collection of administrators.
The administrators were generally understanding of the students concerns, though they did not completely put the students’ minds at ease.

“We want answers,” shouted Carley.

President Samuel Stanley was not at the meeting, but addressed concerns earlier in a message to the campus community. “At this stage the Executive Budget is a proposal, not law, so we will work diligently over the next several weeks to try to ameliorate its effects on Stony Brook and SUNY,” wrote Stanley.

Stone Tool Making Demonstration

2011-03-15T00:02:00.005-04:00

There was a demonstration of outdated proportions at the Stony Brook University Bookstore on Wednesday. Professor John Shea of the anthropology department was flint knapping, or creating stone tools from materials our ancestors once used.

Over 30 students were fixated on Shea as he shaped a spearhead with methodic clinks of stone hitting stone. The professor talked constantly as he worked, as well as answering sudden questions without missing a beat.

“The kinds of tools I use for shaping the stone tools were stones of various degrees of hardness, like quartzite and basalt and sandstone, as well as tools made of antler and bone,” he said, answering a curious student without looking up.

A few of the students there had taken classes from Shea in the past, and still found themselves fascinated by his skill at making stone tools. “I’m really interested in the production of stone tools and today was a real cool experience to get an up-close and personal look at how it’s done,” said student Eli Tyler.

The finished products from Shea were nearly perfect. After finding the general shape, Shea went over his work with a fine toothcomb, carefully chipping away anything he deemed imperfect. Once the shape of the spearhead was to his liking, Shea smoothed its edges to a sharp point with a chunk of sandstone. After looking it over one last time, he proudly held up the finished spearhead for the crowd to see.

Once he was done, the yellowed tarp around him was littered with flint chips and black dust. After announcing that he had to leave for office hours, he invited the students to take some pieces of flint with them as a souvenir.

The students who watched Shea that day learned a skill that our ancestors depended on for survival. The stone tool making demonstration provided a simple relief to the technology-dependent campus, and may have been a wake-up call to students who take what we have for granted.

Maple Sugaring at Benner's Farm

2011-03-13T17:14:00.016-04:00

Maple Sugaring at Benner's Farm

- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

They braved long lines, snow, and rain, all in the name of getting their favorite sweet and sticky breakfast topping-maple syrup.

Families traveled to Benner’s Farm in Setauket NY on February 26 for a maple sugaring demonstration, where they learned the process involved in making maple sugar and syrup.

“We heard about it (the event) through an online thing with Scouting, so our pack, we sent a notice out to all the families, and it sounded like it was a great interesting event for the kids to have fun at and to learn something,” Joe Reid, a parent with Cub Scout Pack 323 of Commack NY, said.

The Maple Sugaring event was the first of the 2011 season for the farm, which was closed for the winter. The Benner family, who has owned the farm for 34 years, has had teaching events like this at the farm for the past 25.

“We chose to show it as a demonstration because no one around here does it,” Sam Benner, co-proprietor of the farm, said. “We like to be able to provide that kind of education to the people so that they don’t have to go as far as Vermont or Upstate or to a sugaring town to find out about maple sugaring and syruping. It’s a way to make it closer to our towns so everyone can see how it works.”

This specific event, which attracted roughly 600 visitors in four hours, involved a lecture from Bob Benner, the owner of the farm, about the history of maple sugaring. Visitors could also see tapped trees, watch a sap and water mixture boil down in a large pan, watch maple candy being made, and sample pancakes with homemade maple syrup.

“I do do store-bought syrup because it’s easier, but if it was available all the time, I’d buy from here, or consider making my own,” Monica McDonald, a parent with the Cub Scouts, said.

Those attending the event learned that the best time to tap their own maple trees is in February, and also learned the ratio of water and sap they would need to make their own, which are 30-gallons of water to every one gallon of sap.

“The only thing I’ve got to say is, do not ever tap a tree, take the sap, and boil it off in your house, because it is 30-gallons to every one gallon of syrup, which means 30 gallons of water that you need to boil off. That’s 30 gallons of water in the air, and then there goes the wallpaper, and uh-oh, why is the ceiling dripping, and why does my bed feel moist? Always do it outside,” Bob Benner, owner of the farm, said to a group attending his lecture in one of the barns on the property.

The farm holds annual events throughout the year, including a May Day Festival, a Strawberry festival in May, and a Fall Harvest Festival in October, as well as running summer camps where kids can learn what farm life is like.

Overall, the Benner family feels the event was a big success.

“Today was a big success,” Sam Benner said. “ There was a lot of people coming in, people got a good idea of what maple syruping is about, and a lot of people are always amazed at how maple syrup is so expensive and then they come here and they learn why, because of the time that it takes to produce the product, and the fact that you can only produce it one time of year, and only in a certain are, so I think a lot of people got a lot out of it, and so today was a huge success.”

Example story format: A Gold Rush Town No More

2011-03-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Endicott, N.Y., is now a "toxic plume" after the old IBM plant spilled toxic chemicals into the ground in the 1970s.

By Wasim Ahmad

Mark Bacon of Endicott lives at Ground Zero.

He lives across the street from IBM's former plant on North Street in Endicott, N.Y., a facility that during its manufacturing processes spilled toxic chemicals into the ground in the 1970s.

Years later, the vapors rising from the trichloroethylene (TCE) polluted grounds are allegedly making residents of the town sick.

It's also partly to blame for the town's economic decline.

"It reminds me of the old days with the gold rush, this place used to be booming," Bacon said. "IBM had 18,000 people over there, now IBM is employing about 800."
The pollution is hurting residents' abilities to sell their property and conduct business in the downtown area, which is just down the street from TCE spill.

After the announcement in 2002 of the TCE spill fallout, Bacon hasn't been able to sell or rent his property.

"Basically, I live on top of a toxic plume, and nobody wants to live on top of a toxic plume," Bacon said. "I would like to move. I would like IBM to buy my building so somebody else doesn't have to buy it, and live on top of a toxic plume.

"They contaminated this property and they should have bought it."
In 2007, Drew Lewis, owner of Re-Up Clothing Store on Washington Avenue, just down the street from the plume, rented the space out but wasn't aware that his property was located in a polluted area.

"I have an apartment out here and a business out here and neither my landlord or the landlord of [my business] told me anything about that," said Lewis. "Not one word. And that's something they definitely should."

IBM spokesman Michael Maloney said the company would not comment on anything concerning the TCE spill in Endicott.

Passport to Beauty

2011-02-22T09:55:00.003-05:00

Wow, this video is intriguing. It points out how the plastic surgery surgery rates among immigrants are basically skyrocketing. It gives examples of different immigrant groups (Asians, Dominicans, etc) and the plastic surgery rates among each ( ex) plastic surgery has doubled among the Asian immigrant population). I feel that the most important message delivered through this video is that plastic surgery is an American obsession and many immigrant groups who may want to better assimilate into American culture feel that aestetics are the way to go...

What do you think?

Could sprouts save the world? Well, they can't save this video.

2011-02-22T09:53:00.007-05:00

This is a video that I found on the New York Times website. It is about a man who returns home to his wife and new born son after roughly three years at sea.

The video is successful in giving viewers appropriate images to compliment the narrator telling the man's journey. At a bit over two minutes, the video is a good length for the world of online journalism.

Yet, one could argue that the reporter's narration is the video's downfall, in that it doesn't allow for the subjects to tell their story. Instead, the reporter spoon-feeds the viewers facts that could have been told more interestingly by the man at sea and his wife.

Also, more insight regarding where the man sailed for all this time would have made the story much richer.

Clowns in Training

2011-02-22T00:53:00.006-05:00

That's right...clowns. You won't sleep for a while. Not like you do anyway.

This short Los Angeles Times video, clocking in under the unofficial three minute rule, sits well on its own as a unique human interest piece. It could have a written story with voices from patients of the Torrence Memorial Medical Center, but the video is all about the clowns and how the medical center is the only professional clown college in the Western U.S.

The video casts together the clowns putting on face make up, making balloon animals and juggling. So it's very interesting to look at. I do not mind at all that the clowns being interviewed look directly at us. We make eye contact with the person underneath the clown make up and that is the person talking to us. We are not talking with their clown personality.

Joy Payne, maybe the name had something to do with becoming a professional clown, leads other professional clowns in training clowns for the medical center to cheer up patients.

Each of the interviews apart from Payne brought out something characteristic about being a clown. A young man read a juggling book and calls it a good book on that subject, a woman says she did this clown training because it was something to do with her son, and a much older woman talks about finding her comic side since she is such a serious person.

Short term video

2011-02-22T00:50:00.004-05:00

The short term video I found is Fears for the fish market, done by the Washington Post. This video works for the web because it is visually appealing. The most appealing portions of the video are b-roll of the men moving, collecting and selling crabs. The downside is that some of the interviews are done with no regard to the rule of thirds.

It is also an issue important to the DC, Maryland and Virginia area. And because it is more of a feature video, it would be too long for a regular broadcast station. It covers the entire issue and I think stands well without any story, though it does link to related topics.

(Very) Short Form Video: Bahrainian Protest

2011-02-22T00:27:00.003-05:00

This mega-short New York Times video on Bahrainian protests at Pearl Square may be brief, but it gets the job done. In under one minute it conveys the who, what, when and where of the story, though it falls short of providing complete context to explain the "why." The reporter speaking directly to the camera was a form of narration, which I usually frown upon. In this case, however, it was appropriate, it added to the live feel of the protest footage.

There were a few technical mistakes but still, the story prevailed. The video put me in the moment, something that news videos rarely achieve. I find this raw quality highly uncharacteristic of the New York Times, but I'm certainly not complaining.

Rebuilding After the Quake

2011-02-21T21:58:00.002-05:00

After being impressed with its bevy of long-form online video, I checked out what the Los Angeles Times had to offer in terms of 3 minutes or less. At first, it was difficult to find short form video on the site that wasn't produced by Reuters, which employs a more broadcast-for-web approach that features voice over and stand-ups.

It was only after searching extensively on their Framework blog and doing a tag search for "Video" that I found exactly what I was looking for in a short online video entitled "Rebuilding in His Father's Footsteps."

What makes this particular video especially suited for the web besides its attention span-friendly length at 3 minutes and 41 seconds is its spectacular marriage of strong still images with equally beautifully shot video.

The LA Times has no shortage of powerful audio slideshows, but since this class focuses on SLR videography, I really wanted something that showcased the strong style elements that only video shot on SLRs can deliver.

Sure, there is a bit more reading than you're used to (and trust me, I'm not a fan of text slides), but you have to admit that there's something powerful about a video subject speaking in his/her native tongue. A translator would have simply killed it for me.

It does have its pacing issues, but if considered in the context as part of an online package, I think this video would figure in well with a text feature.

My only gripe? You're killing me with the flash, LA Times!