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    SchoolS ofthe StarSA mAp o A-List

    ALmA mAters

    teaching Witha PaSSionthree top proessors

    shAre their secrets

    UndergradUateaPPlicationSessAy Advice rom

    the experts

    Winter 2010

    you dont need Ato be A student toenjoy cAmpus Lie

    UniverSitygUide to

    eventS

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    2

    at Hofstra,I became amorning person

    Its more than just a degree. Its a superior education, a full

    college experience, access to state-of-the-art resourcesand facilities, and a network of peers and mentors. AtHofstra University, recognized by The Princeton ReviewsBest Colleges and Fiske Guide, youll discover yourstrengths and nurture your talents with renowned faculty

    in small classes on a vibrant campus close to New YorkCity with a worldwide network of successful alumni.

    While Jenna was a broadcast journalism student inthe School of Communication, her professors fueled

    her passion for the business, driving her to become amorning person, and eventually a segment producer,

    for Good Morning America.

    Jenna Mucha 08B.A., Broadcast Journalism

    Fall Open House, November 20 @ 9 a.m.hofstra.edu/fallopen

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    3

    Grant Kretchik, Pace University

    Growing up, Grant Kretchik was lured to the stage by the glitz and

    glamour of the entertainment industry. But it soon became clear that

    acting, like any job, could be both tiring and dificult.

    But, Kretchik, 31, was undaunted.

    To me, this work is like oxygen, he said. Its like my family or

    friends; its the place Im most comfortable; it forces me to be moreaware.

    Kretchik graduated from Pace University in 2002 with a Bachelors

    degree in Speech Communication, Media Studies and Theatre, and in

    2005, from the New School University with an MFA in Acting. Having

    guided drama projects for friends and underclassmen throughout his

    student life, he was easily able to combine directing and teaching with

    his acting career.

    While serving as the head of Pace Universitys BFA Acting Program

    and a full-time tenure track Assistant Professor, Kretchik is also

    responsible for spearheading the Performing Arts departments travel

    course to Greece and Italy. Now, Kretchik tries to channel personal

    mentors like veteran theatre director, Stuart Vaughan, while remindinghis students that acting is not merely a degree or career, its a lifestyle.

    I try to raise their awareness about the community at large, said

    Kretchik, a resident of Jersey City. In order to do that through art, they

    need to understand and create a personal relationship with it.

    Kretchik believes that his position makes him responsible for

    encouraging his students to contribute to their communities. To this

    end, he makes every effort to bridge the gap between the classroom

    and work place and also looks into opportunities for outreach

    programs through partnerships with organizations such as Broadway

    Green Alliance.

    Having recently returned from the Austin Film Festival where he

    celebrated the world premiere of a recent project, a romantic comedy

    titled When Harry Tries to Marry, Kretchik is spending up to 15 hours

    a day in rehearsal in addition to his teaching schedule. He is currently

    assisting stage director, producer and Tony-nominee Michael Greif,

    in preparation for the irst national Broadway tour of Next to Normal

    starting on Nov. 28, while also directing an adaptation of A Christmas

    Carol with Pace Universitys undergraduate performing arts and dancemajors, which is scheduled to debut on Dec. 8 at the Schimmel Theater.

    When asked to name a favorite project, Kretchik replied, Its really

    whichever one Im working on, at the time.

    Alice Chun, Parsons The New School for Design

    From an early age, Alice Chuns relationship with her father, an

    architect, and her mother, an interior designer, cultivated a deep-rooted

    appreciation for the creativity involved in the design process.

    Today Chun, 45, a practicing architect, leads design studios in

    Master of Architecture and Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design

    programs at Parsons The New School for Design, where she is also anAssistant Professor of Design, Material Culture and Fabrication, and the

    Director of the Angelo Donghia Materials Library and Study Center.

    After graduating with an MA in Architecture from the University of

    Pennsylvania in 1993, Chun happened upon teaching when a professor

    she was for as a Teaching Assistant was forced to spend several months

    recuperating from an accident. A successful semester lying solo in the

    classroom resulted in her being invited back to teach her own design

    studio.

    My role is to help students become aware of their own potential,

    she said. By creating a dialogue with them, I want to be a threshold for

    tagWpa

    By Rhea MahBuBani

    A closer look at how three proessors are bringing their passionsinto the classroomand getting results.

    Grant Kretchik.

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    4

    my students to see what theyre capable of.

    A proponent of connecting academia and professional practice,Chun advocates rethinking the education meted out to todays youth.

    Why not create our own projects, empower ourselves and our

    students, and reach out to clients rather than waiting for projects to

    come to us? she asked.

    According to Chun, her belief in humanitarian design, adaptable

    architecture and cross-disciplinary relationships amidst different

    branches of design make her somewhat of a radical. Today, much of

    her work is centered on aiding crises-ridden communities through

    initiatives that offer long-term progress via housing, education and

    health infrastructure.

    With the aim of creating a broader-reaching educational and

    professional experience, Chun partnered with graduate students

    from Columbia University and set up a non-proit organization called

    Studio Unite. Rather than merely providing housing or a sole health

    clinic, the team functions as a design platform connecting vulnerable

    communities with a high level of design expertise and resources,

    serving as a catalyst for the growth of sustainable communities

    worldwide.

    Chun is currently teaching a design studio at Parsons that is focused

    on creating vocational school in Lagos,

    Nigeria, to be built as a project of Studio

    Unite.

    Im driven by a sense of

    empowerment and am really inspired by

    helping communities, she said. I want mystudents to also experience that.

    On Nov. 18, Chun is organizing

    a fundraiser integrating fashion,

    architecture and humanitarian design,

    which involves Studio Unite, Parsons The

    New School for Design and United Nude, a

    shoe design company. Patrons can expect

    silent auction items donated by designers

    such as Marc Jacobs and Diane von

    Furstenberg.

    Charles Merguerian, Hoftsra University

    Charles Merguerian is fascinated by rocks.

    The texture, the colors, the minerals, the density, he said. Theres

    just something special about them.

    At the age of four, when Merguerians family moved to Queens, rocks

    in the nearby ields caught his attention. What started as a childhood

    hobby of became the foundation for a successful-35 year career as a

    professional geologist.

    Merguerian, 61, Chairman and Professor of Geology at Hofstra

    University and the Director of Duke Geological Laboratory in Westbury,

    NY, believes that rocks are portals into the history of the earth.

    Despite publishing a fair amount of geological data about California

    and Connecticut, Merguerians area of expertise is the geology of New

    York City, an interest that he has nurtured since his childhood.

    I work on the oldest rock layers which are about a billion years old

    up to the most recent soil layers which are 10,000 years and younger,

    mostly formed during the glacial periods, he said.

    Merguerian irst taught as a Boy Scout master and then transitionedto academic teaching at CUNY in 1972. Since then, he has taught at

    CUNY, Columbia University, NYU, The New School, and Hofstra.

    Based on his experience as a professional jazz and blues musician,

    Merguerian likens teaching to performing in front of a crowd.

    There is no point in knowing something if you cant present it, he

    said. The ability to present things well is very important to me, so as a

    result I spent a lot of time on that.

    At Hoftsra, Merguerian teaches a course called Cartographic

    Techniques in which students learn how to draw diagrams and maps,

    create power points and construct attention-grabbing presentations

    with embedded audio and video.

    I always tell my students that you want to be known for the quality

    of your work, he said. Thats my basic mantra.

    Along with instruction, Merguerian makes every effort to be a

    role model for his students, whom he considers no different from his

    own children, and provides emotional support and understanding.

    He also ensures that his courses include ieldwork, complete with

    opportunities for effective research and report preparation.

    Merguerian is interested in the excavated

    World Trade Center site because it allows a

    peephole into Manhattans rock formation.

    The lack of naturally exposed rock south of

    59th Street makes the information obtained

    from drilling and building excavations a

    novelty, he says.Soon, Merguerian will be mapping out

    areas in Isham Park as part of his involvement

    with the electricity-transmitting Con-Edison

    tunnel connecting Yonkers and the Inwood

    section of Manhattan. His passion feeds his

    productivity.

    I dont work; I just continue to do what I

    enjoy, he said. I dont need motivation. If you

    are passionate about the things you do, even if

    its selling hot dogs, it makes life much better.

    Alice Chun.

    thew SuSSMan/the new School

    Charles Merguerian.

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    Its mid-fall. For the past few months, New

    York City-based educational consultants

    Evan Forster and David Thomas have

    poured over everything from school lists to

    admissions questionsand the answers to

    themfor MBA programs across the country.

    Now its time for a gear-change to college.

    Through the door of their ofice in theFlatiron District, where their consulting irm

    Forster-Thomas will see more than a hundred

    undergraduate and graduate-bound clients

    this year, come high school seniors from the

    citys most notable high schools.

    One of the irst things the consultants will

    tell you is that what is done is done95%

    of the admissions process took place in the

    three-and-a-half years that bridge the eighth

    grade and the present. So relax. Focus. And

    start getting the words right on the pages

    youll be sending in.

    To be an educational consultant in

    New York is to occupy at once the role of a

    supportive therapist, a stern and unforgiving

    coach, and that strict school principal who

    looks crazed parents in the eye and

    tells them that he is running the show.

    So, with the onset of the college Early

    Decision deadlines, and the looming general

    deadline on the horizon, we return to

    Mr. Forster and Mr. Thomas for another

    Master Class--this time focusing not on

    MBA admissions but addressing the even

    more panic-inducing process of applying toundergraduate institutions.

    Its evening, and were sitting with

    them at their glass conference table to ask

    questions on behalf of the young adults (and

    their parents) wholl be submitting their

    applications in the coming months.

    The Educated Observer: Were now well

    into November. Most college deadlines

    are in the next two months. Where should

    undergraduate applicants to be right now

    in the application process?

    Evan Forster: Those who have applied

    Early Decision, youre not done. I cant tell

    you how many students have been caught in

    this mess of relying on their Early Decision

    schooldelaying working on the

    rest of the college applications

    and then scrambling if they

    dont get in to their irst choice.

    Dont make this mistake!

    Now that the personal

    statement and the activity

    essay are inished and lockedaway where you cant tinker

    with them, the next most

    important essay is the one

    that asks why you want to

    go to this school. We call

    this the it essay. To nail

    this question, you need

    to be researching every

    single aspect of the

    schools youre applying

    to. If the question is, Why do you want to

    go to [College of Literature, Science, and the

    Arts at Michigan University] and you start

    writing about the university as a whole, you

    are failing.

    David Thomas: If your response to this

    question can be dropped into any otherapplication for any other school just by

    changing the name of the football mascot,

    then youve done a poor job. If your response

    works for Emory and for NYU, the schools will

    see right through it.

    Please elaborate. What are the details an

    admissions oficer wants to read about?

    Mr. Forster: Let me say this: Not all girls

    want red roses. Some like daffodils, while

    others even prefer dandelions. And the guy

    who takes the time to igure that out is going

    to get what he wants. The it essay is your

    chance to get the colleges you want. So, show

    each school you know what it is all about.

    NYU, Cornell, and Colby are all very different

    schools, and you cant write a boilerplate it

    essay that works for all three.

    For starters, think of an upside-down

    pyramid: Start your essay with the overall

    reason you want to go to this university.

    If its University of Pennsylvania, you can

    mention that its the Ivy with the heart,which is your overall thesis. Discuss volunteer

    opportunities you are drawn to and then go

    onto the academics. Note that you visited and

    talk about speciic classes, the professors who

    taught them, and the research theyre doing

    that interests you. Some of this you can get

    from the [yawns] Internet, but the details that

    really show youve listened to your school are

    the ones youll ind by speaking to people who

    spend their days there.

    ugaa Ala:ea A t eThe authors oMBA Reality Checksharethe dos and donts o the admissions process.

    By Michael Gonda

    Mr. Forster and

    Mr. Thomas

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    If a student hasnt started his or her

    application process, what are their

    options?

    Mr. Forster: First of all, its November, so Id

    have to ask, what is going on? Somethings not

    right. Is he or she experiencing some sort of

    paralyzing fear about leaving home or going

    to a new place? Ive seen that before and thats

    a real problem. If youre the parent, you need

    to sit down with your child and talk about this

    out loud...or get professional help.

    Mr. Thomas: Proactively, though, you can take

    your child on a weekend trip, say to Boston

    or the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. They

    need to see a few college campuses NOW.

    One small, one medium and one big. And take

    a Fridayor preferably a Monday off whenclasses are in full swing.

    Mr. Forster: In one weekend in Boston, you

    could see Boston University, which is big with

    no campus and in a city, Boston College--a

    more medium-sized school with a beautiful

    campus, and Wheaton or Wellesley, on your

    way in or out, to get a sense of a smaller, liberal

    arts campus. At least this way shell have a

    better understanding of which schools to put

    on her list if she has to rely mostly on guide

    books or internet sites like youniversitytv.com.

    But now is the time to wrap up this list. Its

    not too late--but do not wait much longer and

    if your kid is in this dilemma, then let him or

    her apply and visit schools after your child is

    acceptedbut deinitely visit!

    In terms of blemishes on a transcript,

    should undiagnosed A.D.D. as a freshmen,

    or a suspension as junior, be included in

    the essays?

    Mr. Thomas: The same thing goes for

    blemishes on transcripts. Applicants needto frame it in the way that he or she wants

    the admissions committee to see it. Dont

    leave it up to them wonder why you got a

    D in Chemistry or a C in English. If this is

    an anomaly due to, say, a death, illness or a

    learning disability, it better get explained in

    that additional information space. But youve

    got to keep it brief.

    Mr. Forster: Absolutely, yes. They are

    going to ind out about the suspension

    somehow, so your child better be the one to

    frame it for the admissions ofice.

    What are big red lags for the essay

    writing process? What are some warnings

    you have?

    Mr. Forster: Essays by committee. Its

    what happens when applicants start to pass

    their essays around to their mother, father,

    sister, best friend, and English teacher. The

    truth is, they all want to help you, but theyll

    screw you up lovingly. Your mother might not

    like the part where you admit to a weakness.

    Your father might not like that youre not

    talking about tennis. And your English teach

    is concerned that you used the word but

    to start your second sentence. They chip

    away at what makes your essay unique, andit becomes like vanilla. You write your essay.

    Then choose one person to help you, and

    thats the end of it.

    Mr. Thomas: I was just at my high school

    reunion--Im not going to say which year-

    -and all my friends were asking me about

    their kids essays. One friend said that they

    were having issues getting all their childs

    opinions out of his essays to Princeton and

    Amherst. I looked at her and said, Youre

    taking the opinions out? Amherst isnt afraid

    of opinionsthey welcome them.

    What makes a personal statement

    great?

    Mr. Thomas: A personal story with

    extreme speciicity. The admissions oficer has

    your resume. This isnt the time to regurgitate

    it. They can imagine that lacrosse changed

    your life, because theyve heard it a thousand

    times. What they dont know is that secret

    youve been keeping, or that revelation you had

    about yourself or your world based on some

    seemingly mundane thing--like the time you

    realized your older sister isnt out to get you.

    Mr. Forster: Or if she is, youre still going

    to love her.

    Mr. Thomas: The personal statementis not about proving your worth. Its about

    showing an oficer how you think. Its also

    about having a voice. An essay that really

    makes me feel you, and makes me understand

    and relate to an experience, that has a typo in

    it, is going to be more successful than a bland

    but grammatically correct one.

    Mr. Forster: But let me say this: No typos.

    Are their dangers in writing about a

    volunteer experience in the developingworld for the personal statement?

    Mr. Thomas: There are some amazing

    essays that fall into this category, but a lot

    fall into the trap of something Evan calls the

    Its a Small World After All essay. This is the

    trip-abroad essay that says Im enlightened

    because I inally see that people who look so

    different are actually so similar to me. I want

    the story about a journey, but I want it to be

    about what you learned about yourself, not

    about what you learned about the people you

    lived with.

    Mr. Forster: Dorothy, youve got the red

    slippers on, click your own heels. Great stories

    are in your own backyard. You dont have

    to go halfway across the world for a great

    personal statement. And if you did go halfway

    across the world, thatd be a great detail for

    your activity list, or a shorter answer.

    What sets New Yorkers apart from

    other applicants you work with?

    Mr. Forster: For starters, just by taking the

    subway, theyre exposed to a whole lot more

    than most kids, and that gives them a very

    unique perspective.

    But theyre also extremely overproduced.

    I had one parent who would literally go visit

    the schools and report back to his child. The

    child claimed he was too busy. The truth was,

    he was in fear. His parents were so involved in

    trying to make sure that he was going to the

    i a a w

    wl lall g

    l a

    ak l.

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    quote-on-quote right school, that they boxed

    him out of the process. Youd think thats

    one-off, but I cant tell you how many other

    examples like that Ive seen.

    Mr. Thomas: Parents have to let their

    children go to college. And that starts at least a

    year before the student ever steps foot in their

    dorm.

    Apart from not overproducing, what

    are positive steps a parent can take to

    support their child in this process?

    Mr. Forster: Go on a separate tour.

    [laughs].

    Youve got to keep an open mind

    here. Theres a whole country illed with

    tremendous programs, and yet if you told

    a parent on the Upper East Side that theyshould look at Rice University in Texas, theyll

    look at you like you just offered them their

    irst hit of crack.

    To parents reading this article, I have to say

    this: Just because youve never heard of, say,

    Elon University in North Carolina, it doesnt

    mean its not a great school. And it especially

    doesnt mean that its not a great school for

    your child.

    Youve seen a thousand of these essays.

    What would you write if you had to write a

    personal statement for yourself today?

    Mr. Forster: Well, irst lets be honest, back in

    19-whenever, my mother wrote my college

    essay. She was the original college consultant.

    But if I were writing mine today? I would be

    writing about taking 100% Responsibility

    for everything I am involved in. Recently, the

    non-proit organization where I launched a

    successful program was taken over by a new

    hire. I felt she was dificult to work with andactually hurting the program I had worked

    eight hard years to grow. And then I asked

    myself, where am I responsible for the current

    state of affairs? Did I have a part in making it

    dificult for her to do her best? What part of

    the problem do I need to take responsibility

    for and how will I operate deiantly in the

    future? Thatd be a great essay.

    Mr. Thomas: I always prefer personal

    statements that are revelatory. So, for me?Ive been fascinated by this recent discovery

    that old friends used to think I was aloof. I am

    anything but aloof. But these friends told me

    that when we irst met, they read my reserved,

    observational nature as aloofness. And I would

    write about that. Id have an essay that recalls

    one of those split-screen TV shows, where

    you see the same action through two different

    viewpoints. On one quote-on-quote screen, I

    would describe some event in my life as I saw

    it, and then on the other Id describe it more

    objectively. And my growth moment in theessay would be about how I need to be aware

    of how others see the world, not just accept my

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    unique, behind-the-scenes view o the art world.

    Christies Education London is validated by the

    University o Glasgow to run a range o undergraduate

    and postgraduate courses. Choose rom the Arts o

    China, the Arts o Europe, Modern and ContemporaryArt, and Art, Style and Design.

    For inormation and to apply www.christieseducation.com / 212 355 1501

    CUNYSupporting MS in BusinessManagement & Leadership

    Experience is not enough.

    In todays competitive jobmarket, advanced degreesare increasingly important.

    Whether looking to advance

    in your current position or

    planning to enter a neweld, the Master o Science

    in Business Management and Leadership prepares

    you or advancement and broadened proessionalopportunities, ensuring career mobility and the

    chance to achieve proessional satisaction. Its ully

    online delivery makes the program available tothose outside the reach o traditional instruction,and allows working adults the opportunity to

    immediately put classroom theory into practice.

    The Master o Science in Business Management andLeadership provides a broad business education

    that ocuses on the undamentals o business

    management as well as criticalskills in leadership. It consists

    o courses in core business

    areas such as management

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    the digital age, and global

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    Applications are now being accepted or the Spring

    2011 semester. To learn more about the online

    Master o Science in Business Management and

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    November 17, 7:00pm

    The Tina Santi Flaherty Irish Voices Series

    Print, Publishing and the Digital EraA conversation with columnist Liz Smith, the Grand Dame of Dish

    December 7, 7:00pm

    The Tina Santi Flaherty Irish Voices SeriesInsights on Fiction WritingA lecture by Colum McCann, winner of the 2009 National Book Award

    December 16, 7:00pm

    The Glories of the English LanguageA discussion with The New York TimesChristopher Lehmann-Haupt,Writer-in-residence for 2010-2011

    All Special Events will be held in the Faculty Dining Room,

    8th Floor of the Hunter College West Building.

    To RSVP for Special Events, call 212.772.4292 or e-mail [email protected]

    Spring 2011 Preview:

    Master ClassErica Jong teaches How to Write the Story of Your Life, a class in memoirwriting

    Best-Selling Author SeriesPrize-winning authors talk about the craft of writing.

    Great Thinkers of Our TimeGuest Lecturers in science, philosophy, psychology, and the arts share theirinsights and discoveries.

    For more information about courses andevents at The Writing Center, please visitthe website: www.hunter.cuny.edu/ce.

    695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065.

    Lewis Frumkes, director

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    14

    A-ListAlumsTake a lk at sme the

    bldace names

    wh started ther

    careers n ur cty schls

    coLumbiA

    Ala Kr ba Gg

    ionA

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    baaa WalKa sgwkra eal

    yk o

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    Al balwW Glg

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  • 8/8/2019 The Educated Observer - Winter 2010

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    15

    jaa LaAl hfa

    ck d pl e

    AdeLphi

    he

    ala

    hostrA

    da paa clac Walk*

    ordhAm

    Ala Aladzl Wag

    Aaa s

    b jt hwa

    prAttinstitute

    New Yrk s a fnancal and cultural

    captal the wrld, s ts n wnder

    ur educatnal nsttutns churn

    ut talented graduates. Here, a map

    metrpltan-area schls where

    stars rangng rm rap artsts (Chuck

    D Publc Enemy, Adelph) t Su-

    preme Curt Justces (Ruth Bader

    Gnsburg, Clumba) gt ther starts.

    Yur chld culd be next

    *dd b did grd

    cityuniversityo

    neW yorK

    pal s (Q cllg)cl pwll (c cllg)

    j s (bkl cllg)

    tereGe

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    mArymountcoLLeGe

    sa L

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    16

    Proessor Yvonne Latty is a journalist, author and nativeNew Yorker. Ater working or the Philadelphia Daily News

    and authoring two books on veterans, she is back in the city,developing innovative strategies or documenting lie in herhometown. She currently directs two graduate programs atNew York Universitys Arthur L. Carter Institute o Journalism,Reporting New York and Reporting the Nation. The EducatedObserver caught up with her about the Local East Village, theNYU-New York Times collaboration thats bringing hyperlocal

    journalism to city streets.

    The Educated Observer: Tell us a little bit about how TheLocal East Village came into existence.

    Yvonne Latty: A lot o planning and a lot omeetings. It was developed as a project or Studio

    20, which is a graduate concentration o the ArthurL. Carter Institute o Journalism at NYU. Studio20 ocuses on innovation and experimentation in

    journalism, as well as orming partnerships withproessional media outlets. It was the concentrationdirector Jay Rosens idea to create a hyperlocalsite in the East Village and his graduate STUDENTSdeveloped the Local East Village and presented itto the New York Times. Im the graduate directoro Reporting New York, a concentration all aboutreporting in the streets, telling stories, usingmultiplatorm strategies to tell stories not beingtold. Ater the Local East Village went live it cameto live in the Reporting New York concentration.

    Pro. Brooke Kroeger, Pro. Jason Samuels and The Localseditor, Richard Jones were all heavily involved.

    How does the proessional media oce t into theacademic environment?

    Its a hyperlocal news room, and NYU is our base. Were aclass and the students in the class report on the East Village.We meet once a week or newsroom meetings, we assignbeats, talk about what were doing and whats going on. Werestill trying to teach, but its the kind o learning Im really bigon: actually doing. The only way you can learn to be a good

    journalist is to do journalism. Its not something that can betaught in a classroom, doing ake assignments. So or me this

    project is exciting; its brought to lie what I believe in.Thats my model with the Local East Village. Were there,were a part o the community and its really interestingneighborhood, with interesting history and diversity.

    Does NYUs outsized presence in the East Village confictwith your coverage o the neighborhood?

    Our director Brooke Kroger hired a community editorwho covers NYU, so were not covering [issues that arise oncampus]. Also, our editor is rom the New York Times, andtheyre invested in objective coverage o the neighborhood.Hyperlocal reporting is very new and very innovative; its giving

    communities what is lost as newspapers have shrunk: reportingin your neighborhood.

    Do you consider yoursel in competition with otherhyperlocal sites like Patch and EveryBlock?

    Were trying to do something new and dierent. Im notlooking at other sites saying, What can we do that theyredoing? With our students its, How can we stand out? Howcan we be dierent? The answer is with really good reporting.Our students are good writers and good reporters--they reallyhustle. Several o our stories have been picked up by the TimesCity Room blog, The Hungton Post, Salon, and the New YorkTimes print edition. Theres this eeling that i you work really

    hard, youll be rewarded by having your piecegoing through the wires.

    Now you just have to gure out how to payreporters...

    Thats part o the experiment; were workingto build business models, guring out how togenerate income. Were lucky because at NYUthe resources are there--weve partnered withthe Stern Business School to help gure it out,and our internships are paid internships, and thatcomes rom NYU. There are six paid internshipsevery summer open to students rom all over thecountry.

    How does the education oered by Reporting

    New York and the Local dier rom traditional journalismprograms?

    Its a good place to experiment with multimedia--slideshows, stand alone images, videos--which is another one omy passions. One reporter should know how to do everything--they dont have to be great at it, but they should know howto do it. Thats what makes it un. Its so dierent rom when Istudied journalism, but that way o doing things ailed. The badnews in the business broke it open or innovations.

    But the Local East Village comes down to having to poundthe pavement and look or stu. I can make suggestions, butwere really looking or students to have enterprise, nd theirbloggers voice. Its really a great experience, with that pay o

    o getting published and even getting picked up by anothersite. I think just being a part o it is a big deal or the students.

    How would you compare working or the Local to theconventional college experience o working or a campusdaily paper?

    Theres no comparison. At the Local, the stakes are really,really high. One o the New York Times editors comes to ourclass every week, and theyre really honest. I they dont likesomething they say it. Feelings are bruised. Peoples storiesare rewritten. All the things you will nd in the real world, youwill nd at the Local East Village. Theres a lot o pressure, but

    ol-sl nw maNYU and the New York Times team up to cover the East Village

    By Kat Stoeffel

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    Inspiring Learning,Exceeding Expectations.

    44 East 2nd Street New York, New York 10003 212.600.2010 www.wclacademy.org [email protected]

    Personalized. Progressive. International. World Class Learning Academy, New York is a student-driven, supportive

    environment that takes a broader and deeper world view. By helping children become confdent participants in

    their learning, we prepare them or the next stage o their education and the challenges o the uture.

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    18

    Since its oundation in 2006 TheBritish International School oNew York (BIS-NY) has grown totake its place amongst the leading

    independent schools in New YorkCity. In 2009 BIS-NY successully

    became accredited as a World IB

    School.

    BIS-NY was established as the

    transatlantic sister school to

    Abercorn School in London (oneo the leading independent English

    elementary schools). The mission

    o the school is to serve all amilies

    searching or a challenging andglobally ocused education system,

    one rom which their children can

    easily transition.

    To achieve this, BIS-NY oers the

    acclaimed content and rigor o the

    English National Curriculum givingchildren the strongest possible

    educational oundation, along

    with the inquiry-based teachingapproach o the International

    Baccalaureate Primary Years

    Programme. The growing parent

    body, which is composed equallyo Americans, British and other

    international amilies, reinorces the

    appeal o this combination.

    BIS-NY strives to oer its students

    the best start in their education

    by providing a sae, nurturing and

    inspiring academic atmosphere.In this environment our students

    develop a genuine love or learning,quality and academic success.

    BIS-NY cultivates individual

    enrichment in music, ne arts,language, and drama; reinorced

    by the superior technology and

    resources provided by the schools

    stunning acilities and taught by

    a highly-qualied, internationally

    trained aculty.

    Although a rm believer in the

    importance o traditional values

    and standards including schooluniorm, BIS-NY is also committed

    to embracing the opportunities o

    modern educational methods andtechnological advances, preparing

    all students to ace the challenges

    o todays competitive world withcondence and competence.

    To date the school has gained an

    enviable placement record both

    locally in New York, in the UK andbeyond.

    To schedule a private tour, enquire

    about our rolling admissions policy,

    or or more inormation please

    contact Kristin on [email protected] or visit our website at www.bis-

    ny.org

    theres also the victory o when your story runs--its the highwe all live or as journalists. Working or a school paper is greatexperience, but this has the New York Times stamped all over it,so the standards are really, really high. We cover breaking news.Things that make it into the school paper are not going to makeit in to the Local.

    Do you think working or the Local will benet yourstudents proessionally?

    It really helps to have a proessional story to tell, andlaunching a hyperlocal blog or the New York Times is one theentire industry has been watching, so instead o talking aboutwhat you did on your internship, you can tell this story. Its beenquite an experience. Theyve done so much, and its been very

    intense and very real world. We have this product that we haveto eed every day, and its part o the newyorktimes.com

    I you want to study journalism now, its very competitive. Youhave to do everything you can to give yoursel a competitiveedge. A site like the Local East Village does that. Studentsthat are in the class are working or a publication. That kind oexperience is priceless, especially or the students who have beeninvolved in the launch. Launching a start up is hard, things werechanging constantly, but we had the opportunity to rise to thechallenge and we did. The most incredible thing to me is seeingthe real world in a classroom. This is it. And in New York City andin the East Village, it just doesnt get any better.

    Catch up with the Local at http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com.

    ol-sl nw maNYU and the New York Times team up to cover the East Village

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    Attention8th to 11th Graders!

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    November

    11Junot Diaz Fiction Reading

    7:00 P.M at the NYU Cantor Film Center,

    Theater 101

    Hear Junot Diaz, author o The BriefWondrous Life of Oscar Wao member

    o the NYU creative writing aculty, talk

    as a part o the NYU Creative Writing

    Programs Reading Series. For more

    inormation on uture NYU Reading Series

    events, e-mail [email protected].

    15Eliza Griswold: Shop Talk and God Talk

    6:30-8:00 P.M. at Columbia University,

    Morningside Campus Journalism Building,

    World Room

    Part o a series o talks on religion andthe world organized by Lisa Miller, senior

    editor o Newsweek, and co-sponsored

    by the Columbia Journalism School and

    Center or the Study o Democracy,

    Toleration and Religion. Eliza

    Griswold, ellow at the New America

    Foundation, will speak on her new

    book The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches

    from the Fault Line Between

    Christianity and Islam. Contact Emily

    Brennan at [email protected] or

    212-851-4145 or more inormation.

    18A Conversation with Eliot Spitzer

    8 P.M. at the Time Warner Center,

    Screening Room 1

    The Fordham University Forum on Law,

    Culture, and Society presents a talk with

    disgraced governor and CNN host Eliot

    Spitzer. Moderated by Thane Rosenbaum,

    Director o the Forum on Law, Culture, and

    Society. Admission is ree but reserve a

    seat at http://www.ordhamlawandculture.

    org/conversations/.

    19Race, Sexuality, and Power

    4:00 P.M. at the CUNY Graduate Center,

    Room C198

    Carroll Smith Rosenberg o the CUNY

    Graduate Center moderates a discussion

    between Doris Garraway (Northwestern),

    Arlene Keizer (UC, Irvine), and Jennier

    Morgan (NYU) on race and sexuality intopics ranging rom Haiti to 20th century art.

    For more inormation, call 212-817-2005.

    20Metropolitan Youth Orchestra

    7:00 P.M. at the Alelphi University

    Perorming Arts Center Concert Hall

    Come hear the talented youths o the

    Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Nassau

    Treble, Concert Choirs, and Youth Chorale

    play live. Conducted by Craig Knapp, Erica

    Warner, and Ed Norris. Purchase tickets or

    $20 at http://aupac.adelphi.edu/events/

    metropolitan-youth-orchestra.php

    Cirque Du Soleil Wintuk Alumni Event

    3 P.M. at The Theatre at

    Madison Square Garden

    Cirque Du Soleil is putting

    on a special matinee

    perormance o its

    newest show Wintuk or

    Iona College alumni and

    their amily and riends.

    The cost o a ticket

    includes bus are rom Iona College (leaving

    at 1:00 P.M.) and back ater the show. Tickets

    are $50 per person. Call 914-633-2390 i you

    plan on taking the bus. Contact alumni@

    iona.edu or more inormation.

    22Margaret Keller Distinguished Lecturer

    Series Speaker: Chai Feldblum

    5:30 pm at the Sarah Lawrence College

    Heimbold Visual Arts Center, Donnelley

    Lecture Hall

    Chai R. Feldblum, Commissioner o the

    Equal Employment

    Opportunities

    Commission, will speak

    on A Vision o Equality:

    How Policy AdvocacyCan Help Change the

    World as part o the

    Sarah Lawrence College

    Health Advocacy

    Program lecture series.

    Call 914-395-2412 or e-mail collegeeevents@

    sarahlawrence.edu or more inormation.

    Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate Series

    6:45 P.M. at the NYU Jack H. Skirball Center

    for the Performing Arts

    A public debate on the motion U.S. Airports

    Should Use Racial and Religious Proling.

    Moderated by ABC News Nightlinecorrespondent John Donvan. Purchase

    tickets or $40 at http://www.skirballcenter.

    nyu.edu.

    23Sachs Student Lecture: Americas

    Economic Crisis - Where Do We Go From

    Here?

    4:00 P.M. at the Columbia University,

    Morningside Campus, Alfred Lerner Hall,

    Roone Arledge Auditorium

    EventCalendarYou dont have to be a student to enjoy these

    on-campus activities, open to the public this all.

    BY JoSH WRiGHT

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    Jerey Sachs, Director o The Earth Institute

    at Columbia University gives a talk on the

    uture o the American economy.

    Registration recommended, contact

    Annemarie Eimicke at aeimicke@

    ei.columbia.edu.

    24Andi Arnovitz: Tear/Repair

    11 A.M to 8 P.M. at the Yeshiva University

    MuseumAndi Arnovitz combines eminist and

    religious art to present a refection on

    modern Israeli society and Jewish identity.

    Her exhibit makes use o Jewish documents,

    old prayer books, and traditional textile and

    printmaking tools.

    Contact Rachel Lazin at [email protected]

    or 212-294-8335 or more inormation.

    30Cave Canem Poets on Crat: Kazim Ali and

    Lyrae Clie-Steanon

    6:30 P.M. at The New Schools Eugene Lang

    Building, Wollman Hall

    Camille Rankine o the Cave Canem

    Foundation moderates a poetry reading

    and discussion eaturing Kazim Ali, author

    o The Far Mosque and The Fortieth Day,

    and Lyrae Van Clie-Steanon, the author o

    Open Intervaland Black Swan. The event is

    sponsored by the Cave Canem Foundation

    and The New School Writing Program.

    Seating is limite d.

    December1

    The New Marketing Revolution: The Impact

    o Social Media and Viral Marketing on

    Political Advertising and Branding

    9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. at Baruch Colleges

    Newman Library, Room 750

    Todd Wasserman, editor o Brandweek,

    moderates the conerence eaturing speakers

    like Tom Basile, Managing Director o

    Middleberg Communications Sustainability

    Group; Liz Gumbinner, Senior Vice President,

    Group Creative Director at Deutsch; Azi

    Paybarah o WNYC; Alan Rosenblatt, Associate

    at the Center or American Progress; and AlanSnitow, Group Strategy Director o Gotham,

    Inc. Admission is ree. Register at http://aux.

    zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu /advertising/. For more

    inormation call 516-732-0547.

    Social Responsibility in Business in the 21st

    Century

    11 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Hofstra University

    Club, David S. Mack Hall, North Campus

    Hostra Universitys Frank G. Zarb School

    o Business and Center or International

    Financial Services and Markets presents a

    day-long conerence on the increasing interest

    corporate social responsibility. Speakers will

    come rom a range o elds (including keynote

    speaker Paul ONeill, ormer Secretary o the

    Treasury) in order to discuss the challenges o

    educating uture business leaders to be socially

    responsible businesspeople.

    4Lighting Fires in the Mind6:00 P.M at The New Schools Tishman

    Auditorium, Alvin Johnson/J. M. Kaplan Hall

    Educator, journalist, and author o Fires

    in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us about

    Motivation and MasteryKathleen Cushman

    talks about what it takes to get really good

    at something. She draws rom numerous

    interviews with children to learn how they

    overcome environmental challenges to their

    education. Seating is limited. Visit http://

    resinthemind.org/ or more inormation.

    8Union Forum: Alredo Jaar

    6:00 P.M. at the Union Theological

    Seminary James Chapel

    Alredo Jaar, Chilean born artist, architect,

    and lmmaker is known or his politically-

    charged interdisciplinary works oten

    covering controversial topics like the

    Rwandan genocide. He will discuss his most

    recent and upcoming projects in a lecture

    entitled It is Dicult. Register online at

    https://www.utsnyc.edu. Contact Kathryn

    Reklis at [email protected] or 212-

    280-1404 or more inormation.

    Sex in an Epidemic

    6:30 P.M. at NYUs Michelson Theater

    (721 Broadway, 6th Floor)

    A screening o a new documentary

    that examines the political and personal

    struggles o HIV and the concept o saer

    sex in the public sphere will be ollowed

    by a discussion with the lmmaker Jean

    Carlomusto. Contact Robert Campbell at

    [email protected] or call 212-992-9540 or

    more inormation.

    9Between Picture and Viewer: The Image inContemporary Painting

    7:00 P.M. at the School of Visual Art Theatre

    (333 West 23 Street)

    Katy Siegel o Hunter College moderates a

    discussion between contemporary painters

    Josephine Halvorson, Jim Hyde and Dana

    Schutz on the image in modern art. The panel

    is being held along with an art exhibition o

    the same name at the Visual Arts Gallery (601

    West 26th Street, 15th foor), which will run

    rom November 23 to December 22.

    12

    Poulenc: Les mamelles de Tirsias2:00 P.M at Juilliards Rosemary and

    Meredith Willson Theater

    Mark Shapiro directs the surrealist comic-

    opera perormed by the Juilliard Orchestra

    and Juilliard Opera. Extremely limited tickets

    go on sale on November 24 at the Janet and

    Leonard Kramer Box Oce at Juilliard.

    14Avery Dulles and the Future o Theology

    6 P.M. at the Fordham University, Lincoln

    Center Campus Pope Auditorium

    Aristotle Papanikolaou o Fordham

    University will moderate a discussionbetween theologians rom schools including

    Marquette, Boston College, and Yale

    on the topic o the late Cardinal Dulles

    contributions to Catholic thought.

    To RSVP, e-mail [email protected].

    For more inormation, call 212-636-7347.

    16Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Reading

    7:00 P.M. at the NYU Lillian Vernon Creative

    Writers House

    Philosopher and novelist

    Rebecca Newberger

    Goldstein (The Mind-

    Body Problem, Betraying

    Spinoza: The Renegade

    Jew Who Gave Us

    Modernity) reads rom her

    new book36 Arguments

    for the Existence of God:

    A Work of Fiction as part

    o the NYU Creative

    Writing Programs

    Reading series. For

    more inormation on uture

    NYU Reading Series events, e-mail creative.

    [email protected].

    17Rana Santacruz

    8 P.M. at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts

    Center

    Hear Brooklyn musician Rana Santacruzs

    sel-described Mexican Bluegrass and

    Irish Mariachi which eature instruments

    ranging rom the upright bass and accordion

    to the banjo, jarana, and trumpet. Tickets are

    $15. Call 212-220-1460 or more inormation.

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    F

    ew things in the typical

    college students

    experience are assigniicant as studying abroad.

    The Institute of International

    Educations Open Doors Survey

    reported that in 2009, 262,416

    college students went abroad.

    The reasons for this are clear.

    New York University, which, out

    of all American universities sends

    the greatest number of students

    abroad each year, operates out

    of almost twenty countries, and

    has campuses in foreign citieslike Paris, London and Madrid.

    But for most undergraduates,

    going abroad is more than just

    visiting the Arc de Triomphe

    and watching Spanish bullights.

    Those things help, sure, but

    an international education

    demands much more that simple

    sightseeing. It presents students

    with the chance to put their

    education within an international

    perspective, challenging them

    to work and live somewhere

    drastically different and acclimate

    to an unfamiliar culture.

    All that sounds expensive,

    but the cost of the average study

    abroad program tends to vary

    in accordance with a variety of

    factors - including transportation,

    incidentals and, most notably, the

    destination. And with a weaker

    dollar abroad and an overall

    bust in the domestic economy,

    thousands of cash-strapped

    college students are askingthemselves the same question:

    Can the dream of an international

    education become a reality?

    Much of the time the answer

    is yes. Still, for many students,

    inancial constraints present

    an insurmountable obstacle.

    Nowhere is this truer than in The

    City University of New York. One

    of the largest universities in the

    United States, CUNYs member

    schools serve over 222,000

    students, many of who areminority students from families

    that fall below the poverty line.

    For many of these students,

    an experience abroad is an

    unlikely venture. African

    American students, for example,

    who comprise 14% of the total

    population of college students,

    only constitute 3% of the

    students that go abroad. This

    comes at a time during which

    the total American study abroad

    population has doubled.For man y students, their

    reasons for not going abroad

    extend beyond just inances.

    Many rarely venture out of the

    New York area, and even fewer

    have travelled on an airplane

    overseas. Pressure by family

    and friends also contribute to a

    students apprehension about

    traveling. Some students are also

    affected by what is called not for

    people like me syndrome. Due toa lack of cultural or family history

    traveling abroad, these students

    do not see the experience as

    something meant for them.

    While these factors affect

    many CUNY students, some

    are given heavier weight when

    making a decision about study

    abroad programs. The two

    major points that students seem

    to be mostly concerned about

    are inancial, said Michael

    Giammeralla, a professor

    at Borough of Manhattan

    Community College. Meaning,

    how to fund their share--many of

    them have part time jobs, theyve

    got family responsibilities.

    Indeed, families present

    a formidable hindering

    circumstance for many CUNY

    students. Nanychi Franquiz, a

    BMCC student who travelled to

    GLobALGetAWAys

    Despite fnancial obstacles,city students fnd ways to study abroad.

    By RicaRdo Bilton

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    Italy during the summer of 2010, worried

    about leaving her grandmother home alone

    in The Bronx for the extent of her Italy stay.

    But Franquiz was lucky. Rather than holding

    her back, she was delighted to ind that her

    grandmother encouraged her to go abroad.

    She said that it was a good opportunity for

    me to get some form of education and culture.

    She was the one that kind of pushed me to go,

    though I had my reservations about leaving

    her alone, Franquiz said.

    Franquiz faced other issues prior to her

    departure. Though she received work-study

    funds, she faced perpetual concerns about

    whether she was going to be able to afford

    her abroad experience. Though she received

    a scholarship from BMCC, a major portion of

    the inal cost of her program would be coming

    directly from her.

    That was deinitely the heavy thingweighing on me, she said.

    In order to ensure that she would be able

    to not only afford her program but also be able

    to pay for the various incidentals while being

    in Italy, Franquiz underwent a self-imposed

    spending freeze.

    I deinitely had to stop going out with

    my friends, she said of her efforts to save. I

    stopped buying things that I needed or that I

    thought I needed. Unnecessary spending I

    stopped that altogether.

    Richard Mitten, Study Abroad Director

    at Baruch College notes a particular quality

    of Baruch students that seems to have made

    them less vulnerable to the inancial issues

    that can get in the way of pursuing a study

    abroad experience.

    Unless they are living in a situation where

    their families lost their jobs or something a lot

    of our students sort of planned for studying

    abroad anyway, he said. They anticipated the

    extra couple thousand dollars they are going

    to have to come up with to study abroad.

    Mitten notes that because many of Baruch

    students families are accustomed to pinchingpennies and doing more with less, adjusting to

    the efforts needed to save up for a few weeks

    away is relatively easy. This, Mitten says,

    largely explains why the numbers of Baruch

    students studying abroad has not dropped off

    as one might expect in the current economic

    climate.

    Galit Berkovitch, International Exchange

    Student Coordinator at Hunter College, has

    seen similar trends at Hunter, noting that

    Hunters students actually offered some

    surprises. Last year we had more students

    studying abroad than weve ever had ever

    before, and we expected fewer because of the

    economy. But that wasnt the case.

    Both Mitten and Berkovitch point out that

    another major reason why CUNY students

    have not been severely affected by the

    downturn in the economy. Compared to the

    average NYU study abroad program studying

    abroad via schools like Baruch and Hunter is

    comparably cheap.

    If youre a inancial aid student at NYU

    Mitten said, You pay your NYU tuition-plus

    to go on a semester abroad, which means youcan pay as much as $25,000 a semester if your

    inancial aid doesnt cover it. Our students pay

    a fraction of that to go abroad.

    Moreover, for CUNY students like Franquiz,

    it is oftentimes easier and far more cost-

    effective to opt-out of the standard semester

    abroad and instead focus on programs offered

    during the summer and January intercession.

    At BMCC, these programs take the form of

    short-term summer programs, which students

    fund via a variety of means. The BMCC

    Association Scholarship, which is collectedfrom a portion of the schools student activity

    fees, helps study abroad students by funding

    sixty percent of program costs. This is a

    unique mechanism in the CUNY system, which

    also offer grant programs like Study/Travel

    Opportunities for CUNY Students (STOCS).

    For many students funding such as this often

    means the difference between getting abroad

    and not.

    Overall, Baruchs Richard Mitten thinks

    CUNY does a good job of helping students,

    but the students do a fairly good job helping

    themselves, too Students at Baruch tend to be

    really smart kids who just dont have money,

    he said. The CUNY system itself doesnt

    coddle students, so they tend to be able to

    fend for themselves pretty well.

    a

    a a ,

    g al

    l.

    Reserve Space Now for 2011In the January 12th, April 13th, September 7th

    and November 9th issues o

    The Educated ObserverFor advertising inormation contact:Barbara Gnsburg Shapr

    Managing Director

    212-407-9383, [email protected]

    Danel DAndrea

    Account Executive

    212-407-9329, [email protected]

    Reserve Space Now for 2011In the March 23rd and October 12th issues o

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    For advertising inormation contact:

    Barbara Gnsburg Shapr

    Managing Director

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    Danel DAndrea

    Account Executive

    212-407-9329, [email protected]

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    24

    By aManda coRMieR

    In June, the State Court of Appeals

    announced a decision that rocked

    Manhattan north of 100th street:

    Columbia Universitys use of eminent domain

    to acquire private properties in a small

    area called Manhattanville was declared,

    indeed, legal. The plan? To build a mixed-useacademic center just a few blocks north of

    the existing Morningside Campusan area

    roughly deined by Broadway and the Hudson

    between 125th and 134th streets populating

    the area with the shiny translucent buildings

    and modest greenery that deine a modern

    college campus.

    Its one of many recent expansion

    efforts for New York City universities. CUNY

    will open a new community college at a

    temporary midtown campus in 2012, and

    plans on expanding all 21 of its campuses in

    the city as part of a $5 billion capital plan. A

    new 600,000-square foot expansion at John

    Jay College of Criminal Justice is set to be

    completed this July.

    This building will provide classroomsand lecture halls, modern forensic science

    labs, instructional and research laboratories,

    faculty ofices, student activities and academic

    support services, administrative ofices, and

    campus services, said Michael Arena, CUNYs

    Director of Communications and Marketing.

    NYU unveiled a 25-year expansion plan

    in April that will expand the campus by six

    million square feet. The university president,

    John Sexton, has noted that NYU has about

    half space per student that Columbia does,

    and even after the expansion would be below

    Columbia and Harvard in that respect. The

    expanded campus will roam into Manhattans

    East Side, downtown Brooklyn, and Governors

    Island in addition to expanding in NYUs

    core campus area near Washington SquarePark. The project is called NYU: 2031, in honor

    of NYUs 200th anniversary that year. The

    plan includes a 40-story Pinwheel Tower on

    Bleecker Street, which NYU administrators

    hope will be approved as a landmarked

    complex by the Landmarks Commission.

    Fully realizing NYUs proposals wont

    change the type of person who will come

    here they will still be the same kind of smart,

    talented, energetic, entrepreneurial people

    City schools are creating new campuses,new neighborhoods, and new communities

    ua o ea

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    25

    we attract now. But creating more academic

    space will make a difference in whether or not

    we can recruit top people, or whether we will

    lose them to universities in other cities.

    Columbias expansion is already in

    progress. Lee Bollinger set his sights on

    the Manhattanville space early in his term,

    oficially announcing plans to expand in 2003.

    Last month, Bollinger announced he planned

    on remaining president of the University for

    another ive years.

    Until recently, controversy has been the

    only visible fruit of the expansion. Small-

    business owners, anti-gentriication activists

    and Manhattanville residents alike have

    voiced opposition to the expansion and

    Columbias tactics in making it happen. In

    December 2009, the State Supreme Court,

    Appellate Divison court ruled in favor of the

    opposition, stating that Columbias use ofeminent domain to acquire the properties was

    illegal. For a short time, the plan was in limbo.

    Now, with the courts at least temporarily

    on its side, Columbia has momentum. The

    plan, for now, will move forward. But what

    seems to be left unanswered is what, exactly,

    this new community will look like in 10 years.

    The plan includes a neuroscience research

    center and a one-acre public square. But what

    kind of stores and restaurants will surround

    it? Who will live there? And what will the area

    be called?

    What will it look like?

    Columbias Environmental Impact

    Statement for the expansion lays out a

    blueprint for a new community will attempt

    to retain the character of Harlem:

    West 125th Street would be enlivened

    through the creation of ground-loor retail and

    other uses to create a lively streetscape similar

    to that of the street in Central Harlem.

    Lynne Sagalyn, director of Columbia

    Business Schools real estate program, saidthat Columbia has a history of shifting the

    retail makeup of an area to it a communitys

    needs. In the early 90s, they made sweeping

    changes to the retail they owned around the

    Morningside campus.

    What they wanted to do was make

    sure that the retailing was servicing their

    community, she said. They surveyed

    everybody. This is whats here, this is what

    you want; what do you want thats not here.

    And then during the next few years they went

    about changing the neighborhood.

    Sagalyn said Columbia students attract

    a different type of retail store than NYU or

    CUNY school.

    I think you can expect cafes and

    restaurants; students arent wealthy, she said.They arent likely to be the high price kind. ...

    Galleries? I would not expect that. This is not

    NYU or another location downtown that has a

    more diverse neighborhood population.

    Developers may already have an eye on the

    rapidly changing area. Elliot Dweck of Besen

    Retail keeps track of changes in university

    communities as part of the businesss retail

    leasing activities.

    I think it [Manhattanville] will be a

    little bit of an extension of the Columbia

    neighborhood thats up there now, he said.

    But in the new area, if you go up between

    120th and 130th, its going to require a

    Tribeca type of look, or if you could get some

    smaller stores, a Nolita type of look, if you get

    some nice small shops on different blocks.

    Though the Lincoln Center Apple store just

    opened about 60 blocks south, Dweck said

    the new campus will attract electronics stores

    and restaurants geared towards the university

    community.

    I know that Apple-type stores will be in

    the area, I dont know if theyll be on 125th

    [street] Harlem or Columbia Harlem, but

    thats a great spot for them, he said. Burgerand hot dog carts would also love to come

    there.

    Has the transitionin retail already started?

    Laurie Vu is the owner of VNV Optical,

    an eyeglasses store right across the street

    from the development. She said she isnt

    fearful that her store will be bought out or

    moved in the near future.

    If I do have any fears, theyre very

    little, she said. I heard its going to be a

    long time. Ive been here for the last 10

    to12 years or so. Columbias on the other

    side of Broadway, and its been going on for

    at least six or seven years. I know for sure

    that its on the other side, but not this side.

    But around the corner, on the other

    side of the same building as VNV Optical, a

    landlord is sure that Columbia is interested

    in acquiring his property. William

    Sanchez is the landlord for Manhattanville

    Pharmacy, a tiny mom-and-pop that

    resembles more of a Vermont general store

    than a Duane Reade.

    Around Thanksgiving of last year, he

    said, a brokerage stopped by and offered

    $5,000 if he would talk to them.

    And I said, Wow, I can use that moneyfor Christmas, he said. The broker never

    said they were representing Columbia or a

    developer for the expansion.

    They said they were from a brokerage

    irm , looking to buy property in an uptown

    neighborhood, he said. No, but Im pretty

    sure its Columbia because Ive been here

    11 years. Theyve never come so hard like

    that, ever.

    He didnt talk to the broker. Nevertheless,

    hes glad that the expansion is moving

    forward, and said the area will look like

    SoHo when its done. Bohemian, even.

    When it was bad, nobody cared about

    it, he said. Now that white people are

    coming, theyre [the opposition to the

    expansion] getting insulted because theyre

    driving them [residents and business

    owners] out. Theyre not driving them out,

    theyre bettering the neighborhood. They

    didnt care it before. Its going to be better.

    Whether better or not, the area will

    certainly have a different community

    dynamic should the courts continue to

    support Columbias plan. The shift couldbe so radical, Dweck says, that it could give

    the area more pronounced signiicance in

    Manhattan geography.

    I dont think right away, but I think

    eventually, yes, you will see more

    neighborhood ties, you will see the place

    turn into more of a grid on the map, he

    said. Youll have another neighborhood,

    a name, Manhattanville, Columbiaville,

    whatever you want to call it.

    i k a

    a a aa; a

    wal.

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    26

    THE WRITING CENTER ATHUNTER COLLEGE

    The Writing Center, newly

    relocated at Hunter Colleges

    Continuing EducationDepartment, strives to provide

    the community with the very

    best in creative, intellectualprogramming. Director Lewis

    Frumkes is continuing the Tina

    Santi Flaherty Irish Voices Series

    this all, which includes upcoming

    speakers Liz Smith and ColumMcCann. The Writing Center will

    also host Christopher Lehmann-Haupt as the 2010-2011 Writer-in-

    Residence.Coming in the spring, Frumkes

    has planned the popular Best-

    Selling Author Series, whichwill host speakers such as

    Susan Cheever, New York Times

    critically acclaimed author

    Joseph ONeill, and Pulitzer-prizewinning author Jane Smiley. The

    Writing Center will also introduce

    Great Thinkers o Our Time,

    a new series which will eaturegited lecturers who have had

    a signicant impact on society,

    including Howard Gardner, CarolGilligan, Gloria Steinem, and

    Nobel laureate Frank Wilczeck.

    All o The Writing Center eventsare ree and open to the public.In addition to its on-going

    proessional writing courses, the

    Center will also be eaturing amaster writing class in memoir

    with Erica Jong, as well as

    specialty oerings such as

    Lincoln or Our Time, Sel-Deense, and a humor course

    taught by the iconic Bel Kauman.

    For more inormation contact:

    The Writing Center at Hunter

    College CEwww.hunter.cuny.edu/ce212-772-4292

    Invigorate Your Career andYour Intellect at NYU-SCPS

    For more than 75 years, the

    NYU School o Continuingand Proessional Studies (NYU-SCPS) has brought

    the creative, cultural, business, and technological

    innovation resident in New York City and the

    worlds leading industries to motivated and curiouslielong learners. Our community welcomes you to

    engage your intellect, explore a passion, or pursue

    your proessional goals through our rich array oproessional certicate programs and courses in a

    variety o fexible ormats.

    NYU WINTER SESSION:A Smart Way to Start the New Year

    Invigorate your mind or advance your career withNYU-SCPS Winter Session programs. Explore a

    passion or acquire new skills in intensive January

    programs that range rom one day to our

    weeks. Winter Session course oerings include:Accelerated Certicate in Fundraising, Federal

    Income Tax Planning or Individuals, The Politics

    o International Economic

    Relations, Interview Skills

    or Introverts, Do-It-YourselMarketing and PR, and The

    Business o Baseball, amongothers. Visit www.scps.nyu.edu/winter or a ull listo programs.

    Digital, Mobile, and Social Media Continue toTransorm Industries and OpportunitiesThe rapid evolution o digital and mobile

    technologiesand how they infuence the way

    we communicateprovide exciting opportunitiesor proessionals with the oresight and expertise

    to take advantage o these latest advances. New

    spring oerings include: The Business Side oiPhone and iPad App Development, The WiredNonprot: Social Media Strategy and Practice,

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    Register NowThese and many other learning opportunities can

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  • 8/8/2019 The Educated Observer - Winter 2010

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    Director Lois Heymann (left), President Jeffrey Cohen(center) and Rosie ODonnell (right) at ribbon cuttingfor the Auditory Processing Center.

    50 BroadwayNew York, NY 10004For an appointmentPhone: (917) 305-7809 or

    www.CHChearing.org

    New Resource for Childrenwith Listening and

    Learning Challenges

    Photo: Risa Hoag,GMG Public Relations

    The Center for Hearing and Communication announces

    the opening of the Auditory Processing Center, a vital

    new resource to help children with auditory processing

    disorder (APD).

    Under the leadership of Lois Heymann, M.A., CCC-SLP,

    the Auditory Processing Center provides unsurpassed

    clinical expertise in the evaluation, diagnosis, and

    treatment of APD.

    Visit www.CHChearing.org or phone (917) 305-7809

    to find out if your child could benefit from a consultation

    or evaluation.

    I watched Lois

    Heymann lead my

    child from a world

    of total confusion,disappointment, and

    narrow options to

    one of understanding,

    enthusiasm, and skys-

    the-limit opportunity.

    Rosie ODonnell

  • 8/8/2019 The Educated Observer - Winter 2010

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    (Call in advance of attending events to confirm date/time details and whether registration is necessary.)

    CUNY campuses

    NOV.11NOV.10BOROUGH OFMANHATTANCOMMUNITYCOLLEGEFocus onFamilyHealth &Fitness

    2 P.M. to

    4 P.M.

    NOVEMBERIS

    Open houses, admissions and financial aid work-shops,lectures, museum exhibits, sports tournaments,book talks, and panel discussions with distinguished

    professors, achieving students and honored guests.

    See what CUNY offers in November!

    NOV.18THE CITY COLLEGE2010 NobelLaureate MarioVargas LlosaRETURN OFTHE MONSTERSPRESIDENTSLECTURE

    5:30 P.M.

    NOV.16COLLEGE OFSTATEN ISLANDNew YorkPhilharmonicQuartet

    7:30 P.M.

    NOV.30BOROUGHOF MANHATTANCOMMUNITY

    COLLEGE2010 CUNYCollege Fairfor Veterans

    3 P.M. to 7 P.M.

    FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF OPEN HOUSES AT ALL CUNY COLLEGES AND DETAILS ON HUNDREDS OF OTHER EVENTS DURING CUNY MONTH, VISIT WWW.CUNY.EDU/CUNYMONT

    NOV.17HUNTER COLLEGEIrish VoicesSeriesLIZ SMITH, NEWS-PAPER COLUMNIST

    7 P.M.

    MACAULAY HONORSCOLLEGEMacaulayPerspectives:ReimaginingFunnyPATTY MARX,HUMORIST(SATURDAY NIGHT

    LIVE) AND AUTHOR6 P.M.to 8 P.M.

    NOV.14LEHMAN COLLEGENew Orleans NightWITH PIANISTALLEN TOUSSAINT,TRUMPETERNICHOLAS PAYTONAND JOEKROWN TRIOTICKETS$25-$3520% CUNYDISCOUNT

    6 P.M.