Strike A Pose, Vogue, History of Ball Room Scene

  With this new fad of GAY lingo being thrown around here and there, I took the time to dig a little deeper. Find out where does all this come from and explore the subculture within the LGBT community. We also get to see how one subculture has influenced others.I’m going to get into the Ballroom scene and I feel everyone should experience this kind of event at least once in their life, you will see how many pop artist take from the icons of the ballroom scene. To name a few, Madonna, Brittany Spears, Lady Gaga, Beyonce etc. Down to the way a runway models walks down a runway in a fashion show derives from the Ballroom. Here's a clip from Legendary Leiomy Mizrahi who have inspired artist in the music scene.

When we hear the word Ballroom we often think about dancing with the stars because of course they’re doing traditional ballroom dancing but in the LGBT community, this is like a competitive fashion show featuring all types of pageantry. This is giving you runway and its also giving you sex, yes I said it! This is no new phenomenon, Balls has a history and has a tradition that dates back to the 19th century and going strong into the 21st century.The Ballroom scene was born out of queer culture in New York City. It began as drag pageants, which expanded to include categories for realness, performance (vogue), sex siren, runway, bizarre and a host of others.The scene is organized into Houses. These houses are like crews or even like real family and often members rely on each other outside the scene for support and love in times of need. They become “children” and the house has a “mother” and “father”, they have rules to follow like any household and they take on a family name. Usually the name derives from a fashion designer, for example, they have the House of Mizrahi which is named after Issac Mizrahi or maybe after a ballroom icon like Willie Ninja, it would be called the House of Ninja,etc.  So I'm Camille but my new name would be Camille Mizrahi. Hope you get the drift. So the ballroom scene is all about houses competing with each other in different categories and winning prizes. Check out this famous clip of Crystal Labeiga from the movie "The Queen" in 1968, there is also a documentary on the Ball room scene called "Paris is Burning"

Now let's get into the categories that are within the Ballroom scene. Performance, this is the category is the one that gave birth to the vogue form of dance. It is broken up into 5 components that can be used as their own categories in a ball. The 5 components are Duckwalk,Catwalk,Hands,Floor work, Spins and Dips. You find a lot of theatrics in the performance category, a lot of shady gestures against their opponent. Runway, this category is exactly what it sounds like. It is walking on the runway like a high fashion model. There are two types of runway walking and they are All-American Runway and European Runway. This is where you see how this scene has major influence on our fashion runways. A lot of the top models today and in the past have been trained to walk by Icons like Willie Ninja. Then we have Realness, this category comes from a time when blending in with heterosexuals was a key component of gay life.  The challenge of this category is to present yourself as heterosexual as you can project, you have Thug, Executive, and Schoolboy.The face category is about who has a classically beautiful face.  Judges examine the eyes, the nose, the teeth, the lips and the structure of the face, they will only look at the face of a competitor which should not have much makeup and should appear flawless. The category Body is about health.  A competitor will have hit the gym quite a lot, and are willing to show off.  The judges will be looking for someone who looks attractive, and healthy. Last but not least Sex Siren, this category is all about sex.  Who can seduce the judges?  Participants will do their best to tease and seduce the judges. Some may strip all their clothes off, others might do erotic dancing, and some may do both just to snatch a trophy. In this category you'll mostly see transexual women that gives sexiness but keep in mind real women compete as well, there more in the realness category. This entire production is a MUST see!!

One of the most popular balls to date is the Latex Ball, it’s an event that is held every year and it’s purpose is to shed awareness on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and how its affecting the LGBT community. You will find people getting free std testing as well as receiving goody bags with all you can possibly need to enjoy safe sex. You will also find a slew of celebrities who come to this affair, it is that huge of an event and everyone is welcomed to attend. So guess where I will be next year?  You got it, having my very first Latex Ball experience!! To my right is a clip of 2013 Latex Ball, enjoy.

Hope, Home and the American Dream

  Their are various reasons why people come to the U.S. some seek safety and freedom  from oppressive governments while others come in hope of economic opportunity. Once here, many newly immigrated people encounter a whole new set of problems. No matter what their reasons for coming to the land of opportunity one thing remains the same, the hope for a new life in a country that offers freedom and work.

Documentaries: Don't Judge a Film by its Genre

Documentaries: Don't Judge a Film by its Genre

Just as the age old expression says, "you should not judge a book by its cover," I've learned that this case can be applied to film as well. Before Micah Fink's visit to our class I always thought the worst of Documentaries. I used to think they were uninteresting and that it didn't matter whether I learned about how bad people in Somalia have it or how deforestation is destroying millions of habitats for the Earth's wildlife, but after seeing a bit of The Abominable Crime I completely changed my thinking. Documentaries are made for a reason: they want to inform. Essentially it's up to the audience to decide whether they care or not but if you took the time to think about how much hard work goes into actually making one of these you'd probably change your thinking like I did. Micah Fink and Common Good Productions put in months of networking, traveling, filming, editing, and producing into their documentaries. The Abominable Crime is truly moving and it hits very hard no matter which sexual orientation you prefer. They traveled to five countries to see how each saw their homosexual communities. This film is just an example of how capturing a documentary can be. Please watch the trailer at their website.

Student Club Expenditures at SUNY WCC

I sat down with the Vice President of the W.E.B, Raisza Latif about the amount the WEB is being awarded. I also spoke with Tiago Machado, the Assistant Director of Student Involvement about the process through which clubs are awarded funds.

WCC's Take on the Welfare of the Environment

Five people are in this video project to discuss their stance on the environment's current being. For those that would like to know more about how the environment is doing generally and currently, refer to this link: 

Pulitzer Center "Pros" Visit College

Last Thursday, November 28, Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting and award-winning producers; Micah Fink and Steve Sapienza visited Westchester Community College for the second annual "Meet the Pros" event. Students gathered in room 13-D of the technology building with the opportunity of no only ask questions, but also to get a sneak peek at the film "An Abominable Crime", which was to be shown at the main event later that evening.
After the clip, students were asked for their opinions.





An Abominable Crime produced by director and producer Micah Fink, follows the story of Simone Edwards and Maurice Tomlinson as they struggle to survive in homophobic Jamaica.


To learn more about An Abominable Crime, and other works by Micah Fink, visit Common Good Productions.

Pulitzer Opens Up With WCC Students

Two Pulitzer Journalists shared with us their story of how they started their Journalism Career. Steve Sapienza and Micah Fink both started off like any other aspiring student trying to go big out in the world of journalism, taking classes such Photography their ideas expanded even more as they expanded their knowledge. They both eventually traveled to different parts of the world including, Dominican Republic and Jamaica where they worked on crisis reporting. One of the highlights of their presentation is when they shared with us the video that was created when Micah traveled to Jamaica and documented stories of people dealing with homosexuality insecurities due to the overwhelming fact that homosexuality is not prohibited in Kingston, Jamaica. "The Abominable Crime" The students at WCC who had the chance to watch their presentation felt an immediate emotional reaction, many students couldn't believe what they were watching and hearing, we got a chance to interview some students to get a a better understanding of what they felt. As the presentation ended, many of us felt the need to do something to help or even become experts like Micah and Steve, which we get the opportunity to to do so simply by applying to the Pulitzer website. Pulitzer

The Perks of Swimming: From education, safety, and a great workout

Why is it important to learn how to swim? Swimming is a great workout, with added health benefits as well. According to Discovery Health & Fit, there are other great benefits that come from swimming, like the prevention of diabetes, and an improved sense of flexibility, because the body works a lot of muscles at once. Swimming is also one of the best ways to help with weight control and loss, since it's the highest calorie burner. Bucknell University lists the social, psychological, and physical benefits of swimming, as well as some different ways that you can workout in the pool.
Aside from working out though, what's the big deal about swimming? It can save your life. The American Red Cross offers courses all over the country for lifeguards, lifeguard instructor, and water safety instruction (WSI certification), as well as swim lessons. There are also classes to take on how to be safe in a home pool. A reporter for the BBC UK talks about her experiences swimming and how it impacted her life, while including facts about swimming in English children, like how many can't swim 25 meters in a pool (200,000 by the age of 11, as of May 2012).
PBS Kids Go! encourages kids to get into a swimming habit, because of how good it is for the body. They have games, videos, celebrities who encourage it, and other methods to help get kids excited to swim. There is also an educational aspect with job opportunities that cane come from being able to swim. For one thing, there happens to be a whole specialization of archaeology that has to do with underwater ruins. Port Royal, a hub founded in 1518 for commerce, where pirates and privateers were able to reside safely, is one of these ruins, though it can be difficult to get permission to go diving near the site, as special permission is required from the Jamaican Government. Other interesting underwater ruins can be seen here or here.
As my friend Dominique likes to say about swimming, "It gives you the opportunity to be safe around the water, and the ability to help someone else be safe and enjoy the water as well."

This video was made and edited by me, and I asked friends, my lifeguard coworkers, and some family why they thought swimming was important. It's a great skill to have that, as one of my coworkers Sean says "I think swimming is important because it's a skill that can save your life one day."

Jalesa's conversion/Sleeping with Sirens Show

I recently had the privilege to interview Jalesa Tucker about attended her first rock show.  The bands that performed were Sleeping with Sirens, Memphis May Fire, Issues and Breathe Carolina.  She was very hesitant to attend at first due to the violent tendencies of the show.  She soon warmed up to the crowd and engaged in every aspect of the experience.  This is her story

-Here's a few links to find out more information on each band.
-http://blog.sleepingwithsirens.net/
-http://memphismayfire.merchnow.com/
-http://www.riserecords.com/
-http://www.breathecarolina.net/
-http://www.vanswarpedtour.com/

The Pulitzer Center Travels Around The World

Become a part of the Pulitzer Center and get the amazing opportunity to travel around the world! Here, Westchester Community College students get the opportunity to travel all over and report some underreported crisis situations across the globe. Devon Smith, a Westchester Community College student and Steve Sapienza, an established journalist, talk about their experiences working for this brilliant journalist organization.

Two award winning producers

Micah Fink and Steve Sapienza shared some of their years of working in journalism. The two didn't work together, preferably working alone. But the two work in the same field by spectating other parts of the world. Both of their work is known for the struggles people have to go through like violence, viruses, and poverty.

Listen to this morning zoo!

If you want to see what goes on the behind the scenes of a radio show at Westchester Community College, watch this video on "Guy Talk." The show is on every Friday 8-10am.  This short video includes interviews with the co-hosts, live mixing and the topic of which movies and shows have made us cry.  This is our morning zoo!

If you want to watch great interviews from a radio station, be sure to view the HOT 97 Youtube page.

Can Films effect change?

Documentary or Propaganda

In the many years of film, the distinction between film and propaganda has been a very fine line.  When the film Battleship Potempkin by Sergei Eisenstein in 1925 was filmed it was considered a work of art.  It defined the Soviet Montage Theory of film making for the time.  But it was a work of art that represented the director’s view of the incident, not an honest review of what happened at that time.  Each person reviewing a film must make a decision whether to agree with the ideas presented or to disagree.

Todays Documentary creators like to believe they represent the truth and believe they can help to change the world based on the opinion of the truth that they put before us.  Take for example the work of Award-winning producer, director and writer Micah Fink.  Mr. Fink is a well-respected creator of documentaries and has produced some outstanding work.  He would like to believe that the film he produced in Sept 2005 “H5N1 • KILLER FLU” changed how the US government responded to the Swine Flu crises in 2009.  This claim may help Mr. Fink in acquiring benefactors but probable not how the US government made up its mind to treat a potential epidemic. file:

In the paper "The Swine Flu Crisis: TheGovernment Is Preparing for the Worst While Hoping for the Best – It Needs toTell the Public to Do the Same Thing!" the author Peter Sandman outlines issues that were detailed in Nature from May 21^st, 2009 that also outline the crisis.  In researching this subject I was able to locate hundreds of papers, films and books defining this crisis.  So why might Mr. Finks be the impactful document?

Documentary directors work hard to present a point of view they believe needs to be seen.  You may easily watch any of Michael Moore’s films and recognize their opinion is the driving force, not the truth.  But he believes he is doing a service and trying to create change in the world.

Remember when you are watching and news, film or documentary, it’s up to you to distinguish the truth from opinion.  The next time you see a Film like Kony 2012, try and understand why it is being made.  Is it an advertising campaign, politically motivated or the truth for you to decipher.

A Devastating Truth

                                     When Will It End??

It is true that with each passing year more and more immigrants seek for a second chance here in the land of milk and honey. 

Their treacherous journey to arrive in the safe haven of America is often overlooked by the circumstances that it takes to place foot on this promised land. But the brutality faced in the desert, the cold frightful nights, and the endless stomach growling's are merely the beginning of this bittersweet dream.

There is no question about the horrors that are experienced while trying to cross the Unite States border. However, that difficult journey they have embarked on to reach a safe haven is only the beginning. The underlying sentiment that many immigrants crossing the border are here to take someone else's wages and jobs is undeniable.

 But where does the problem begin? And more so, why are there more and more people trying to come into the U.S. risking their lives and willing to leave there homes,  family, and friends. Clearly, one does not wake up one day and leave their native land just because they feel like it, usually there is  an unhappiness, a struggle, or a hardship going on. 

Nearly a decade later, The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) passed on January 1 1994 links 450 million people that produced $17 trillion dollars in output. NAFTA promised not only to aid U.S Citizens but also those abroad. To be precise, according to citizens.org it promised it "would create tens of thousands of good jobs here in the U.S. and that  farmers would export their way to wealth. In addition, "NAFTA would bring Mexico’s standard of living up, providing new economic opportunities there that would reduce immigration to the United States".

So who could lose? Well with over a $181 billion dollar deficit as of 2012,the elimination of five million manufacturing jobs, a 20 percent decrease in salaries,  the closure of  60,000 manufacturing facilities, inefficiency of properly check food supply, NAFTA had left many Americans without hope. 

Yet an even bigger impact was felt by  the Mexican population. Starting with the dislocation of many Mexicans in the countryside, a 66 percent decrease in wages for Mexican farm workers causing the inability to pay for their lands. Leaving half of the Mexican population earning less than the minimum wage needed for basic food necessities. Over 700,000 people with out  jobs, Mexico's economy is slowly dissolving. 
Little change has been seen in this past decade except trillions of dollars made, unemployment rate on the rise, migration into the United States inevitable. 

The Latest Trend In Fashion: Sportswear

I remember when people used to put on a shirt and a pair of jeans, but fashion nowadays sure has changed.
Sports fashion trend sporty clothing. Sportswear as a fashion trend has been evolving for the past few years. For spring 2013 it continues on the direction of sleek minimal and luxurious making itself ripe for new interpretations. Athletic looks are the new trend at fashion shows. One unifying theme of the Milan collections was that it was all over the place which was sports. Athletics mesh fabrics showed up in insets on the back of dresses or layered underneath them; and variations of modified tracksuits appeared in surprising numbers. A w magazine editor named Giovanna Bogetta Veneta showed up in a Junya wannabe dress that would have been great for running a marathon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQjO1cq-YUw

Steve Sapienza: The Depth of Reporting

Documentary and news producers Steve Sapienza and Micah Fink came from the Pulitzer Center to our multimedia journalism class about two weeks ago to discuss some of their previous work and talk about how they did it.  Steve talked about working alone, which he prefers, and also a time where he experienced some difficulty when working with a full crew of people in order to gather his story material.  Below is also a link for some work he did in Malaysia on the struggle for education on palm oil plantations.  

education for migrant workers

Sapienza, Steve

How has the multimedia platform helped areas of success in getting your message across to people?

How do you think field work helps you as a producer?

What problems with budgets for projects do you face and how do you go about solving/improvising?

Micah, Fink

What heavy influence impact you decision to work on the issue of homophobia leading to the production of "The Abominable Crime"?

 Which multi-media productions in either international affairs, public health, or environmental issues attained the most at awareness and changes in our human populations?

What kind of material in documentation do you suggest for future students of production to begin with?

PULITZER QUESTIONS

Micah Fink
Questions
1. Watching your clip, I've notice your focus was in Kingston. Did you also explore the homosexuals that also reside the popular area in Montego Bay?

2. While in Kingston, were you able to interview other lesbian and gays? And were you able to go to their vary hangout spots like Palais Royal (strip club), Carlos Cafe or even their secret parties in the hills?

3. While in Jamaica were you able to work side by side with JFLAG and if you did, are you planning to work with them  and help those seeking asylum ?



Steve Sapienza
Questions
 1.What inspired you to focus on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the carribean and what was your main goal?

2. Are you working with a non for profit agency?

3. What was the hardest thing you've encountered doing this documentary?

Pulitzer Questions

1. What made you pursue this adventure?
2. What’s was the hardest part of watching this crisis?
3. What did you expect before you began your adventure?
4. What was the most severe situation that you came across?
5. Did you think of any solutions for this issue?
6. Why did you choose this country?

Pulitzer Questions

Steve Sapienza:

1. In shooting a documentary piece, the wide shot is essential and the subject can be asked to repeat the same mannerism in order to get a different angle. What about in shooting hard news pieces.

Micah Fink:

1. You've covered a lot of humanitarian issues, how do you decide when to approach a story as an advocate of change as opposed to an objective journalist.
2. In order to protect the integrity of a story, would you let certain things pass and when wouldn't you
3. Do you think you're guilty of ethnocentrism

Pulitzer Interview Questions

Steve

1. What camera angles do you make sure to get when filming a documentary? 
2. Have you ever been told about restrictions as far as airing content that you've filmed and had to edit because of those restrictions? 
3. What documentary have you done that you feel was the most important issue or topic that you brought to the surface? 

Micah

1. Which do you enjoy more, teaching now what you've learned over the years and your career as a producer/director/writer, or actually going into the field and working?
2. Throughout your film-making phase, was there a specific company that was easiest to work with?
3. Was there ever a situation while shooting material where your life could have been or was in danger? 

Pulitzer questions- Jalesa

Steve Sapienzaa

1. Whats the most memorable story you've covered?

2. why are Dominicans hostile toward Haitians?

3. What sparked your interest in the story?


Micah Fink

1.Was it difficult to get gay people to open up on camera?

2.How did you meet simone (from the film)?

3.How did you come up with the title of the film?

Pulitzer Questions

Questions to Steve Sapienza

1. What made you interested in finding out about climate change from this particular country only (Bangladesh)
2. Can you give us some background on your project called Live Hope Love?
3. What things have you experienced in the countries you do projects on?

Questions to Micah Fink

1. What made you start Common Good Productions?
2. What are some of the films you have worked on?
3. What is "Marine Defenders" about?

Pulitzer Questions

Steve Sapienza Questions

1. Filming and taking pictures can sometimes be a little misinterpreted especially when capturing  someone else’s personal life issues.  What techniques do you use to grasp the emotional, deeper connection with the people to make it more personal ?

2. Was it difficult to get people to open up about situations such as HIV? What do you think made them more comfortable to open up?

3. What experience would you say impacted your life in a positive way the most?

Micah Fink Questions

1. How did it feel to have one of your projects aired on national TV?

2. What was one of the first videos you have done in the past as an aspiring journalist?

3. What advice would you give to young students trying to make it out in the world, just like you have succesfully done?

Pulitzer Questions

For Steve 1 What do you enjoy most about being a journalist? 2 What was the experience like working with the HIV crisis in Haiti and the Dominican Republic? 3 How did it feel when you received an Emmy for working on the human face of HIV/AIDS project in Jamaica? For Micah 1 What made you decide to want to do this project? 2 What was the experience like doing this project? 3 If you had the chance to ever do this project again would you?

Pulitzer Questions

1) Your reaction when you won your first award?

2) Throughout your years of work, what was the most difficult moment you've encountered?

3) As a producer, what was the one documentary you enjoyed the most?

4) You've worked on dozen of films, which one or more took the most time to work on?

5) You've worked on National Geographic Explorer, how was the adventure?

6) What advice would you give to the young journalist out there?

Pulitzer questions

For Steve:
-what led you to be a journalist?
-do you feel you would have gotten as big as an impact about the crisis happening around you had your stories just been showcased in print journalism?
-what triggered your interest to focus in on Jamaica or the Dominican Republic?

For Micah:
-why investigative journalism?
-where did your interest to pursue journalism come from?
-there are crisis all over the world but is there one that has gotten your attention as a possible documentary any time soon?

Pulitzer Questions - Wes MacKenzie Cl#1

Steve Sapienza-
1) Who do you travel with when you do these kinds of stories?  Are you managing all the video, photography and audio yourself?

2)How much prep work is involved in a story like "Slum Dwellers Struggle for Clean Water"?  Is it planned what the results should be or do you go to the site looking for a story?

3) Do you see the HIV issue as a continuing and growing epidemic?

pulitzer questions-joshua hazlehurst

Micah fink
- did you find it difficult to find people willing to speak about their homosexuality in jamaica
-was your safety ever threatened
-what was the worst case that you've heard regarding violence against homosexuals
-do you find that more people are coming forth and standing up against violence towards same sex couples
-do you find it a growing problems in schools with children

Pulitzer Questions (Homosexualtity in Jamaica)

What is your reaction usually when you see violence towards homosexuals in videos on the internet and on TV?



Do you think we/you can change the public perception of homosexuality in Jamaica? If so how?



What is the worst story you've encountered since you started reporting on this story?

Questions for the Pulitzer Center Reporters, from Devon Smith

For Steve:

1)What was it like working with other journalists on both of your projects on HIV/AIDS?

2)Of your projects for the Pulitzer Center, which one had the biggest impact on your life?

3)Which of the stories that you covered or worked on was the most interesting to you?

For Micah:

1)What was it like working with 2 other grantees on a project this size?

2)What was the inspiration for a project like this?

3)How were you able to get the answers to the questions you had from the community?

Pulitzer Center Consortium Visit Q&A

1) What made you want to report on your specific international crisis in the Dominican Republic/Jamaica?

2) What were your journalistic methods of capturing the material needed for your project on this international crisis?

3) What was some of the more obscure information that came about while reporting on your international crisis?

4) What advice or tips do you have for those that plan to enter their international crisis pitch to the Pulitzer Center?

2013 Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium Award Project

After spending the entire month of June in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, I was able to put together a project through the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, which you can find here.

PULITZER CENTER CAMPUS CONSORTIUM VISIT ASSIGNMENT: DUE 11/21/13

1) Check out the links and work of the two journalists from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting who will be in class with us on Thursday:

*Award-winning news and documentary producer Steve Sapienza

 *Award-winning producer, director and writer Micah Fink

2) Come up with at least 3 questions for each of them and be prepared to ask them on Thursday: a good question will relate directly to their work. Apply what we've learned about interviewing to your questions.


3) Post a blog entry with your questions by Thursday's class meeting. USE THIS LABEL: PULITZER QUESTIONS


4) Come prepared and ready to be engaged. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY

I like gaming…but I Loooove Football, Football, Football!!

Kevin Lang is a Guy's Guy, you can find him on any given day gaming. What really moves him, a great football game….Having WCC student Kevin Lang break down his day to day and what he is into. He enjoys the world of gaming, unlike most he doesn't even mind playing himself. He elaborates a little about his love of sports as well as who has inspired him in the NFL and what does it mean to him. I was delighted to learn about Mike Vrabel.

Looking Inside the Mind of a Writer

I recently sat down with Stephanie Mehia, a current student at Westchester Community College.  We discussed her love for poetry and her love of music.  Her favorite topic to write about is nature and she strives to display the darker and bleak aspect of nature through her writing. One of her main inspirations for writing is from her favorite artist Emily Autumn.

A hardworking person

I recently Interviewed one of my classmates, Angie Gill, who works really hard. She explains what she has been through these several years of working multiply jobs.




Here is advice from a successful person....http://youtu.be/KuNQgln6TL0

Barbara Villena's Hardships are the Roots of Her Love for her Family

            WCC student Barbara Villena discusses in this audio piece how her love for family came about from something as melancholic as having to live among a Peruvian terrorist group called the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%BApac_Amaru_Revolutionary_Movement
Due to Villena being separated from her family and having to be cared after by her nanny during those times of violence, her longing and appreciation for her family remains with her today since her pain was and still is being separated from her family.

Make-up Love

Jalesa Tucker shares with us her passion for make up, her feelings on society, animal testing and shares with us tips and tricks to look your best everyday!






Jalesa's favorite Youtuber, Michelle Phan gives a make-up tutorial inspired by the Mexican holiday "Day of the Dead"

Wes Welcomes WCC Program with Open Optimism (mostly)..

Wes finds a vast range in diversity at Westchester Community College, or WCC,  by most all students and faculty. The audio above of Wesley McKenzie's take and feedback on the school comes from a one on one interview based on his experience.Wes is one of many mature, older, and decidedly declared  students currently majoring, at WCC in Valhalla, New York in journalism. As a fellow peer and student, I myself agree with his input on the school's educational use of the BlackBoard system. This audio also gives a personal perspective on a personal decision and outlook on predisposing events leading up to his decision to go back to school.

Oksana's Love Of Ukrainian Dancing

Oksana talks about her story of teaching Ukrainian Folk Dance at the Ukrainian Folk Center in Yonkers. She talks about her passion of dancing and the experiences that she went through as well.

Skateboarding over the decades

        Over the years, skateboarding just like many other sports has not only changed but also reached new audiences and even influenced new genres never thought possible before.  What had originally started in the 1950's as an idea "to surf on the street" was now reaching audiences in the hip-hop community. Chris Nieratko from Vice comments that "There was always an unspoken understanding between the two worlds: skaters would not rap, and rappers would not skate". A interesting but true idea, since the early 80's there was not one hip hop artist that would make a video skateboarding. Nieratko, also mentions that "At some point, the rap world...realized that white kids made up the majority of hip-hop record sales, and the majority of white kids were skateboarding". Fast-foward nearly a decade and we hear that Lil' Wayne skateboards, odd yes, but certainly true. Nieratko, also comments on Wayne "naturally, the first thing Wayne does to prove how down he is for skateboarding is to start a skateboarding clothing line to capitalize on it". Whether a fad for the moment, or a forever arrival into the hip hop community, what we do know is that skateboarding has now reached more audiences and grabbed the attentions of those internationally as well, surpassing cultural and ethnical groups. A devout skateboarder and student at Westchester Community College tell us more about his thoughts on this ever changing sport.

http://www.skateboardingskateboards.com/skateboarding-history/