Trace, Spin and Feel the Vibe of Journalism
By Ana Figuereo, Taryn Mclean, Arthur Sanders, Kristen Wallace, and Michelle Yakobson

On August 2nd, the College Now Journalism class took a fieldtrip to the headquarters of Spin, Vibe and Trace magazines.

The first stop was to the Spin/Vibe building in Midtown Manhattan, where the tall building and tight security hardly reflects the laid-back atmosphere inside the offices. Upon entering the waiting room, the class was welcomed by an intern who was making phone calls, and then the smiling Lynne D. Johnson, general manager of the online component of Spin/Vibe. Johnson led them to what looked like a hybrid of a conference room and a room from which editorial assistants fetch their bosses’ lunches like well-trained Dobermans. The class sat down to a chat with Johnson, during which she described herself, her role at Spin/Vibe, and the cutthroat world of journalism. This Bronx native described how she just “fell into [journalism],” even though she “did not know [she] wanted to be a journalist.”

Johnson started out by majoring in computer science. Midpoint in her education, she decided that she wanted to become a writer. At the time, a frequent to college newspapers as a tutor of sorts -- “I was writing people’s papers and getting paid for it” – Johnson decided that she might as well turn her various investments in writing into a career in journalism. But, she wasn’t exactly ecstatic about the schedule involved. “Reporting is daily, it’s exact…you have to make deadlines,” Johnson said. “And you’ve got to get those stories in.”

After writing for a publication funded by students of SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Albany, Johnson chose to pursue an occupation in magazine writing because “with magazines you have more freedom.”

Editorial Assistant Kyle Anderson, 23, was our next speaker. Anderson works for the print version of Spin magazine. Starting out as a theatre student at NYU, Kyle woke up one morning in the middle of his sophomore year and realized he hated what he was doing. He finished up his classes as soon as he could, and switched to journalism. With an amiable, humorous and slightly sarcastic tone, Kyle proudly proclaimed, “I get to talk to washed up rock stars.”

“You name them,” said Kyle, “if they’re not relevant, then I’ve talked to them.”
Over at Spin’s sister magazine, Vibe, Editor-in-Chief Mimi Valdés spoke to us about her passion for journalism and her decade-long dedication to the profession. Valdés explained how she has been in “the game” for so long that she has developed personal relationships with various celebrities in the music industry.

“If the publicist is taking too long to get Kanye West…I can call him up and get [a quote] from him,” Mimi said. The reason Valdés is so successful, she told the class of aspiring journalists, is that since high school, she immersed herself in the world of hip-hop and urban culture, the editorial content at Vibe. She read magazines and watched music videos religiously, because at the time, those were her only means of acquiring information about her favorite recording artists. This was a time before Vibe magazine even existed. Valdés realized that in order to thrive in this industry, “you have to immerse yourself totally in the field that interests you.” Basically, one has to “do their homework” to make it as a journalist, she said.

The last stop on our fieldtrip was Trace magazine, located in a humble loft in SoHo. There was a very family-like atmosphere, one in which the staff shared inside jokes and even bickered playfully at times. They’ve been working with each other for years, said publisher Amy Andrieux. Founded and operated for many years in London, England, Trace switched continents to New York in 1998. Now, its readership spans the globe. Trace prides itself on being a “classic” magazine that focuses on “transculturalism.” They define “transculturalism” as a way of embracing different cultures by exploring their music and fashion trends. Trace considers itself separate from other magazines because its editors consider each issue a “collectible.” The magazine itself is meant to be a precious item that its readers will want to keep for years to come. And unlike magazines such as Vibe, which follow the mainstream, Trace focuses on the underground and underrated artists whom they feel deserve attention.
As the class concluded its day of site visits to magazines around town, some students said they felt encouraged by the excitement of a journalism career, while others were discouraged by the competitive nature of the field. Overall, the class found the trip to be very informative. It was a wake-up call for aspiring journalists to commit themselves to what they truly love.

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Students Say Graphic Design Class “A Success”
By: Abu Ali, Brian Choi, Angeline Deschamps, Ana Figuereo and Samantha Seodas

The Graphic Design class has been hard at work, but still it manages to maintain a fun atmosphere. They have come a long way and learned about many digital techniques, using programs such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash.
As the program draws to an end, all the students are putting their finishing touches on their final projects. There are seven different groups working on digital projects, including video games, flash animation, skits and individual websites.

Victor de la Cruz, the teacher’s assistant, has been on high demand. “I just wanted to help people with digital media,” Victor said. The students often need his help when it comes to coding systems, programming and troubleshooting.

“Victor is [a] clutch; he comes through when we need him,” Matthew Gordon said. Gordon is working on a game called “Clean Up,” where players try to catch falling garbage. The final project is so complicated. We only have three days left to finish it, but we’ll get the job done with Victor’s help,” Gordon said. Gordon’s partner, David Haiman, says the game “promotes cleaning after yourself. It’s environmentally friendly.”

Dennis Martinez and Abraham Balde are creating a different video game, based on boxing. “It’s easy to create the characters, but the hard part is creating their actions,” Martinez said.
The very funny Melvin and Marvin Parasram, Jesse Flores, Eric Ayende and camera girl Rocio Gonzalez are doing skits. The group has been editing and adding music, which makes the skits entertaining. Gonzalez records the boys doing odd things around campus, such as falling and rolling on the grass.

Room 122 got an exclusive preview of some of these skits and highly recommends visiting the site when it is completed. Or, better yet, attend the Arts Festival dinner on Wednesday, August 10th and Thursday, August 11th.

Geoffrey Wong and Cora Wu are working on a flash animation. They based their animation on a cartoon they enjoy, “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.” They work cooperatively together. “I would still be on the first frame without him,” Wu said. They both give much credit to their Professor Mari Fetzer and TA Victor. “They teach well, act like us, and are comfortable to be with. They’re practically teenagers,” Wu said.

Laura Santos is excited about the class. “I really like this program. I like learning about Photoshop and Flash because it’s very interesting,” Santos said. She and her partner, Kavita Arjoon, made a final project on flash animation as well. Laura is also working on the playbill for the upcoming play “Kids Don’t Come with Instruction Manuals,” to be performed at the Summer Arts Festival gala by students in the Theatre Arts class taught by Professor Brian Doyle. The bill has personal bios of the students involved in the play. Santos really enjoys the College Now program. If she had a chance, she would do it all year, she told Room 122.
“It’s a very good introduction class for computer artwork,” Michelle Tait said. Tait is busy at work on a personal website as her final project.

Leah Sukenick’s final project is a front page for the upcoming play and for the College Now program. She is merging and enhancing pictures to create new ones.

Even though everyone is having fun, they are going to miss the class after it’s
over.