In Bronx, a Fight for Health and Dignity

July 26, 2005
In Bronx, a Fight for Health and Dignity
By DAVID GONZALEZ

Gloria Altieri believes in the Bronx, especially in those neighborhoods that many of her contemporaries revisit only in memory, never in person. It is a mere detail that Ms. Altieri, born in Mott Haven 52 years ago and raised in Soundview, sleeps just over the border in Mount Vernon, since she has dedicated her most productive waking hours to the borough as an educator.

She could work elsewhere. But she won't. Instead, she runs a child development center inside a public school turned community resource center on the Rev. James A. Polite Avenue. Her commitment dates to the years when this Morrisania street was called Stebbins Avenue. At the time, she decided that the South Bronx was made better when those who got ahead came back to share their talents.

"I'm always going around saying we need to stay in the Bronx," she said. "People want to stay here."

This is not an easy time to have those sentiments. Last month, when Yvonne Pagan, one of her teaching assistants, was hit in the head by a stray bullet outside an apartment building. Their disappointment with the ensuing treatment at Lincoln Medical Center left Ms. Altieri with no alternative but to set up Ms. Pagan with a doctor and trauma counselor in Manhattan. The month before, Ms. Altieri took another employee to a Manhattan hospital when a local doctor was slow to diagnose a breast tumor.

"The frustrating part of this is, I chose to stay in the Bronx," she said. "I could be working somewhere else. It frustrates me to see the services provided to the people around here."
The bullet that hit Ms. Pagan is still in her. She can speak and walk, and she is doing both and then some. The night of June 8, she was relaxing with a girlfriend on the stoop of her apartment on 163rd Street and Prospect Avenue when she heard a quick "pop." She knew what it was and started to get up and run, when she heard another "pop" from a gunshot.

"I hit the street like I was hit with a bat going upside my head," she said. "One of them aluminum bats. I ran into my building and told my girlfriend, 'I'm shot!' She was like, 'No, you're not.' Yes, I was. I got a bullet on the side of my head."

Am ambulance took her to Lincoln, where Ms. Altieri met her the next day. Ms. Pagan's hair was unwashed, matted and bloody.

"The doctor came in and I said, 'Shouldn't somebody clean her wound?' " Ms. Altieri said. "And the doctor said, 'I guess so.' When I asked the nurse could somebody clean her up, she said it was not her job."

The next day was hardly better, the women said. Doctors decided against operating on what turned out to be a bullet fragment that was lodged in Ms. Pagan's skull. One doctor told her it would grow out and discharged her, Ms. Pagan said. During a follow-up visit, Ms. Pagan said another doctor told her that they would just leave it alone, advising her to come back if she had any headaches.

Dr. Ramanathan Raju, the medical director at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, said there are times that, in the absence of complications, it is advisable to leave a fragment alone. "In certain areas of the skull they can remain there forever without producing any problems," said Dr. Raju, who previously directed a trauma center.

Yvette Martinez, Ms. Pagan's sister, is still worried about how she is dealing with the emotional effects of the shooting. She had to help her after the July 4 holiday, when the nonstop fireworks led Ms. Pagan to hit the floor in panic. Ms. Martinez had asked the hospital to refer her sister for trauma counseling, but said there was no follow-through.

"It's almost like she should have been used to being shot," Ms. Martinez said. "Their attitude was so cavalier. Not the main doctor, because she was good and explained stuff. But her staff was lacking."

The city's Health and Hospitals Corporation issued a statement yesterday that said confidentiality rules prevented a detailed comment about a patient without Ms. Pagan's permission. But the statement noted: "Her record indicates that her treating physician provided the patient an explanation of her diagnosis and prognosis. At the time of her discharge, Ms. Pagan received referrals and information regarding the social services that she requested, as well as on crime victims services. Counseling is provided on site or patients may be referred to other agencies through their health plans."

Ms. Altieri said she complained to the patient relations office but got no response. When she tried calling the hospital director's office, she said an assistant told her the director was busy and that she should put her complaint in writing.

"I believe they should treat anyone who walks through their doors with dignity," Ms. Altieri said. "I cannot question their medical expertise. But I know about dignity."

Indeed, she arranged for Ms. Pagan to see a neurologist as well as a trauma counselor at a Manhattan hospital, all covered by their employer, Easter Seals.

Last week, both women were at the Bronx center, where new parents were visiting to learn how to help their children develop language skills. Ms. Pagan, whose co-workers affectionately dubbed her "Bullet-head," was taking a group of youngsters to a park to play. Ms. Altieri was showing parents how to improvise low-cost arts and crafts games to develop young minds and bodies.

"Take away the television," she said in a calm mix of Spanish and English. "Give them a spray bottle or these clothespins. These are the muscles they are going to use one day for writing."
The center is roomy, clean and bright. Ms. Altieri made sure a tray of sandwiches and pastries had been laid out for the parents. This is not, some said, an unusual touch here. Yet they contrast the attention lavished on them here with the indifference they encounter outside.
"Other than here, it's difficult communicating with people or getting them to listen," said Lisa Rivera, whose twin daughters just graduated from the center. "Either that, or they do not have the time or - excuse me for saying this - they're just ignorant."

Ms. Rivera had an unpleasant experience recently at the Lincoln hospital, as have many of the parents at the Bronx center. But that was nothing compared with what happened at a social services office when she sought help in sorting out aid payments for her handicapped son.
"The caseworker there said, 'It's not my fault you had a retarded kid,' " Ms. Rivera recalled. "I went over the desk and hit her. You're supposed to be professional. How can you talk to somebody like that?"

Ms. Rivera was at the center to help Ms. Altieri orient the new parents. She urged them to speak up for themselves, to not settle for quick explanations from counselors or therapists when their children move to public schools. And yes, she said later that it was always important to stay cool. Hitting is not an option.

Ms. Altieri said women like Ms. Rivera have supported her in ways they may never imagine. Each of them, in their little battles, has affirmed her decision to stay put in the Bronx. She recalled vividly the look on Ms. Rivera's face when Delenn, one of her 4-year-olds, participated in last year's Christmas pageant.

"Delenn stood on stage, not saying anything, but not crying," Ms. Altieri said in a voice that mixed quiet wonder with admiration. "Lisa was so proud of her. The tears just rolled down Lisa's face, just because she stood there. I was not even looking at Delenn. I was looking at her."
Sometimes, staying put is a very good thing.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

Health Hazard

By Stephanie Sanchez

Standing by my window in my 5th floor apartment on Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, on the night of July 25, 2005, I watch as a man lay stranded in the middle of the street with his motorcycle crushing his legs. The car that has hit him stops to call 9-1-1 and help the man release himself from the deadly crush of the motorcycle. In no less than 5 minutes, an ambulance is there to pick the man up and take him to the hospital.

The next morning, as I stand waiting for the bus, I watch as an elderly woman is helped into a special van sent to pick her up every morning by a hospital to take her to her destination for the day. The chauffeur is very nice with the woman and even buckles her seat belt for her. So how can it be that that same morning I read an article in The New York Times about lacking health care in the Bronx? The answer is simple: money and location.

David Gonzalez’s article “In Bronx, a fight for health and dignity” describes the experiences of people seeking help and health care in the South Bronx. Gonzalez describes how a Ms. Yvonne Pagan was shot in the head and when sent to the hospital her injury was simply treated as a splinter in the finger might be treated. Gonzalez then goes on to describe Ms. Pagan’s co-worker, Gloria Altieri, as Ms. Pagan’s hero. Ms. Altieri even goes on to describe herself as a kind of savior to the rest of the Bronx. However throughout the entire article, nothing mentions how Altieri actually did anything or made any actions to allow the South Bronx to have better health care. The article describes Altieri’s failed attempts to find decent health care for Ms. Pagan, and then she just gives up and then seeks health care for Pagan in Manhattan instead.

Is this what a real Bronx hero would do? Instead of just trying to help just one person and giving up on health care in the Bronx, wouldn’t a real hero try to find a way to fix the situation?
The South Bronx is hardly known for its “superior” health care, and I am sure that Ms. Altieri is well aware of that since she has lived there almost all her life. However instead of trying to change the poor health situation her neighborhood is in, all she does is simply complain about it in Gonzalez article. Gonzalez refers to Ms. Altieri as one who “got ahead” in life, meaning that she was a very successful woman, but not once did Altieri donate, or fundraise, or fight for better health care for the South Bronx. Gonzalez’ article clearly states that it frustrates Altieri to see the deficient services provided to people in the South Bronx, and goes on to complain about the lacking health care. It seems as if Altieri wants to stay in the South Bronx to watch the people suffer and do nothing about it. Altieri could easily move to another part of the Bronx, or even another county, but for some odd reason she chooses to stay in the Bronx. Why?
Gonzalez’ article simply points out the obvious: that various parts of the Bronx are not as on task with their health care as other parts may be. I myself know that particular parts of the Bronx are weatlhier than others, giving the people of those areas faster, more reliable health care. However in areas such as the South Bronx, where shoot-outs are an everyday norm, many of the people can’t even afford to pay their own rent, let alone give money for decent health care. However Ms. Altieri makes it sound as if this is some new trend going on, and worse yet, it seems like she is just standing there watching it happen. If Ms. Altieri knows and has known for a long time now that health care is lacking in the South Bronx, why does she complain about it instead of doing something to help?

Unhealthy Problems

Unhealthy Problems

by: Rachel Sanchez

Five years ago, I was coming up from band class when I held the door
for somebody. They did not say “thank you.” I was so annoyed that I did
not notice that my finger had gotten caught in the heavy metal door.

The next thing I remember was being taken to the emergency room at
North Central Bronx Hospital with a broken finger. I arrived at the
hospital at 3:00 in the afternoon and went up to the nurse. She took one
glance at my finger, told me to sit down and wait until the doctor was
ready to see me.

The next time we saw a doctor or a nurse coming my way was at 10:00
PM, seven hours after I had first arrived. And all the doctor did was put my
finger in a cast and give me an appointment for a later date.

Going to the emergency room is no vacation for anyone, but we imagine
being treated well as soon as possible. However, this is not the case
in several Bronx hospitals. Patients are not getting adequate treatment
and care, which can lead to further grave consequences.

The New York Times ran an article on Tuesday, July 26th, titled “In
Bronx, a Fight for Health and Dignity” that focuses on this very issue.
Yvonne Pagan was shot by a stray bullet and taken to Lincoln Hospital.
There, doctors and nurses did not do much to her wound, even telling her
that the bullet in her head would eventually come out. Healthcare officials
even refused to provide counseling to Ms. Pagan, who became emotionally
unstable after her incident.

Frankly, this is a very large embarrassment to New York City. How can we explain to anybody that Bronx hospitals let people with bullets embedded in their skulls walk away with just a band-aid over them? How do we justify the unfair actions of healthcare workers in the Bronx?

The answer is quite simple: we can’t. But what we can do is to bring this issue into the public eye. This year we have a special advantage: Mayor Bloomberg has begun his run for reelection. Instead of heavily campaigning for a new stadium for a sports team, he should be focusing on the health and status of people living throughout the city’s boroughs. It won’t be possible for Bronx residents to vote for Bloomberg if they’re, well, dead.

The city prides itself on cracking down on “corrupt” issues such as making sure the Mr. Softee ice cream trucks don’t overuse their familiar little jingle and people don’t take up two seats on the subway.

Maybe if the city also cracked down on lax Bronx hospitals and enforced fines and punishment on these institutions, doctors and nurses, we would avoid further lapses in our health care system. That way, the city can shine brightly again, knowing that all its citizens are being watched over.
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The Transformation
By Cris Chalmers

Some people would say that losing over 70 pounds in three months isn't healthy. Not
Charit Louis. Charit Louis, a student at Lehman College, is a slim, healthy-looking young woman. You would never guess that she once was overweight.

"I wouldn't say I was obese, but I was overweight." says the 20-year-old student. Charit grew up in the Bronx, the borough which has become known as the "fat" borough. The Bronx's obesity rate has been rising for the past 10 years, according to Mayor Bloomberg. Louis says it's easier to get fat in the Bronx than in any other borough because there's a deli stocking unhealthy junk food on every corner. "You could get a mega cinnabun for 25 cents," she said.

Louis was going on and off diets for some time before she stumbled upon the Vegan
Diet. The Vegan Diet is a diet in which the user can eat nothing that comes from animals. A
lot of soy products are consumed in one of the few diets tougher than vegetarian. "I ate soy ice
cream" Louis said with a laugh.

Along with the diet, Louis did a lot of exercise. "I exercised almost every day."Maintaining this diet and exercising helped Louis lose over 70 pounds in three months. "My
mom thought I had a eating disorder," she said.

In order to maintain her newfound form, Louis eats in controlled proportions, trying not to over do it Today she is a happy, healthy young woman who is in shape and has never felt
better. "I'm happy the way I am now."

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Extreme Makeover
By: Merlys Alberto

If you see Charit Louis, 20, you wouldn’t think much of her weight. But in the past year Louis has surprised her family and friends by losing more than 70 pounds. As America strives for perfection you see more and more reality shows based on appearance and self-image. In our society everyone wants the perfect body, not the most healthy body. Louis started her journey to losing weight not only because she wanted a new appearance, but because she wanted to stay healthy.

“I never wanted to be like everyone else,” she says. “I wanted to be healthy and comfortable.”
During the past three years, Louis always began diets but was never determined enough to actually finish one. One day while surfing the web, she came across an ad describing a diet from a website called http://www.ediets.com/. Charit chose the Vegan diet, which meant no food from any type of animal; that meant no meat, eggs, cheese, or any of the other wonderful things she had loved to eat before.

Louis began her diet in September, 2004. She admits that the first couple of weeks where the hardest. Being 19 and a senior in college, she had times where she wanted to break the diet, but she was determined to complete her goal. She followed her diet and tried to work out as much as she could. Charit weighed 198 when she started her challenge and by the end of three months she had lost 70 pounds, with all her determination and self-confidence.

Americans have made reality shows like, Extreme Makeover and Dr.90210, which show a rapid increase of people going under the knife to have their ideal body type. Our society bases beauty on weight alone. What people don’t realize is that two out of three adult Americans, or 60 percent, are overweight or obese of America, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Obesity begins at an early age. Over the past couple of years, even children have become over weight and progressed to becoming obese. Obesity is rapidly becoming an epidemic in our society.

“I wasn’t obese, I was just overweight,” Louis said. After she began to lose weight, her family and friends began to react. Louis’ mother became very worried and thought that her daughter was becoming very sick and was battling an eating disorder. Her friends were mainly supportive, and her guy friends were amazed by her transformation. Many people confronted her with negativity about her change, but Louis was happy at what she had accomplished.
Louis now feels healthy and is comfortable with her weight. She has gone thought a change but not for what she thought society wanted, for what she wanted.

“I never wanted to starve myself. I love food, but I never want to go back to how I was before.”

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Miracle Weight Loss
By Darah Phillip

Many Americans today would be extremely eager to lose 70 pounds in three months. This is what Charit Louis did when she started college and decided to shed the pounds. Her story does not include diet pills, surgery, or eating disorders. It is simply an amazing story of achievement for this 20-year-old Manhattan resident that should inspire the multitudes hoping to lose weight.
At the start of the school year in 2004, Louis’ weight ranged from 189 to 200 pounds, which she attributes to “a lot of hamburger specials.” She had been trying to lose weight and diet on and off without success; her motivation was always short-lived and her attempts at dieting lasted only as long as a week. Plagued with heart problems and a range of good reasons to lose weight, Louis decided that it was time to become serious about her weight and health.
“I got fed up so I decided that I needed to do it,” Louis said.

Her story begins with a trip to ivillage.com, where she saw a link about a free weight-loss challenge provided by the Discovery Channel and ediets.com. Ready to do anything that was free, Louis visited the website and in doing so, took the first steps to living a healthier life.
“It was hard in the beginning,” Louis said. The ediet.com method forced Louis to drastically change her eating habits and become a vegan. This was very hard for her, being part Dominican, since she would be unable to eat much of the food prepared for her by her family, which she regularly enjoyed.

“I was on a really strict caloric diet,” she said. She also exercised at least five days a week. Although it was a struggle, the hard work paid off and today Louis is 70 pounds lighter than she was less than a year ago.Some advice she would give to dieters: “keep going to the gym because the second you don’t, you get lazy.”

Many of Louis’ peers and family weren’t completely comfortable with the speedy weight loss. Her mother even said that she looked sick, and tried to start “an intervention,” as if Louis were suffering from an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa. Anything but the truth. “I never want to starve myself,” she said. “I love food.”

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Taking the Will for the Deed
By Pratik Shah

There are many interesting facts about the Bronx. Out of New York City’s five boroughs, the Bronx is the only one that is connected to the mainland. The Bronx is also the fattest borough. There are more fat people in the Bronx than in any borough. The problem of obesity is very critical and serious at the same time. Fast food chains, easy transportation, and lack of information contribute to this problem. Many people who face or have faced the problem of obesity try to address the issue and hopefully solve the problem. Meet Charit Louis, a college student at Lehman College. At 19, she was teetering between 189 and 200 pounds.

Louis was your average girl who, as most people do, excessively ate at fast food chains. She loved the hamburger specials and mozzarella sticks. “It’s cheaper to go to McDonald’s and get something on the dollar menu than to go the supermarket,” Louis said. As time went on, she began experiencing heart problems and difficulty breathing. She also became aware of her self-image and decided to do something about it. While visiting ivillage.com, she stumbled upon a popup in which she found out about an online weight loss challenge that was free. It required that she convert to a complete vegan diet. This, of course, meant that she had to stop eating fast food.

The once carefree eater, Louis had to begin watching her calorie intake and daily exercise regimen. “Keeping a vegan diet was hard and costly,” Louis said. However, in three months she lost about 70 pounds. Her friends and family were shocked. Her mother thought that Louis had acquired an eating disorder, as many young girls do when they enter college because they become very self-conscience of their images. Losing 70 pounds in three pounds was a rapid change.

Thanks to the weight loss, Louis was able to again breathe easier, get more in tuned with herself, and be recognized in a new way by her friends and family. Boys she’d known for years but who had never paid her much attention romantically now started to ask her out. She says that she was able to achieve this almost impossible task since she believes that “If you stick with it, you can obviously do it.”

Louis still goes to the gym to exercise. She still watches her diet and strongly believes that other people use her example as a model to accomplish such goals. “You just have to be persistent. It doesn’t happen over night,” Louis said. As an old saying goes “When there is a will, there is a way.”
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Livin’ Large
By Stephanie Sanchez

July 25, 2005, Lehman college- Looking at Charit Louis, 20, you would never know that she once shared the same problem that over 30% of Hispanic children now face in New York city today, that less than a year ago, she was considerably overweight.

Louis, now a Lehman college student residing in Manhattan, was once an overweight teen with poor health and self-image issues. Her decision to shed the excess weight would boost her health and morale. It would also prove to overweight and obese people that weight loss, hard as it is, is very possible.

“I lost weight to be healthier and feel better about myself,” Louis said. She claims that she began to gain most of her weight in high school. “I had a long term boyfriend and we would always eat together and just chill.” Louis said that she became less active and the pounds began to creep onto the scale. Eventually, her weight became too much for her body to handle, causing her to have severe heart problems. Along with Louis’ heart problems, came insecurity about her image and weight.

Entering the college semester in the fall of 2004, Louis made a serious decision to lose the weight that had taken up residence in her body, as a result of her long-term high school relationship. She knew that this could not be like all the rest of her failed attempts to work out and eat less.

“I would go to the gym for about a week and then just stop,” Louis said.
She knew that this time she had to be serious, so she did some research. Browsing the web one day, Louis came across a special program sponsored by the Discovery Channel, which made meal plans, offered health tips, and special diets. She knew this would be it and her living large days would be over.

Louis went on a strict caloric vegan diet, a diet that meant she could not eat anything originated from animals, and everything she did eat had to have its calories counted.

“The vegan diet is hard core; being a vegetarian is easier to deal with,” Louis said. She said that it was a hard thing to do, especially for the first week. Being half-Dominican, Louis said that it was hard resisting temptation to eat all of the Dominican meals her mother would prepare. “It was a battle not to eat all of that food,” she said. Louis was forced to eat dairy and meat substitutes, along with a lot of fruits and vegetables.

“I was eating a lot of synthetic, fake tasting food, and it was expensive.” She said that it was definitely a challenge, but after three months of the vegan diet and daily trips to the gym she lost 70 pounds.

“I worked out like every single day,” she said.
After losing the weight and feeling a lot more confident about herself, Louis was ready to face the world. But the responses she would get were not exactly the best. After seeing her physical transformation, many of Louis’ friends thought she had an eating disorder.

“I wasn’t starving myself. I never wanted to starve myself. I love food!” she said.
Some thought Louis’ new look was great, while others thought she looked sickly. Louis said that she also began to get a lot of unwanted attention from her male friends. Many of them began to look at her like more than just a friend.

“I was the chick they all hung out with, and then I lost the weight and…”
Louis’ family especially did not like her new look, “My mother and father didn’t like that I lost the weight, they felt that I looked fine the way I was and didn’t need to lose the weight,” Louis recalled.

She also got a negative response from her sister, who at the time had gained a lot of weight from a pregnancy. “She is such a hater,” Louis said, joking. She said her sister’s negative response came from her own jealousy. The ambivalent sister, Louis said, would tell her that she looked too skinny or too sick, but there were also times when her sister would also give her recognition for her progress.

So what has Louis learned from her experiences and what does she have to say to the rest of fat America? “I learned that I was capable of sticking with something, and in the end the benefits will outweigh the sacrifices made.”

As for everyone else enslaved to the obesity epidemic, sure it would be way cheaper and easier to just drive through to McDonald’s or go to the corner store than to actually get something healthy to eat, but Louis had some enlightening advice.

“You have to battle with it for a while, but then there’s a breakthrough. You just have to be persistent with it. When you come to the end of it, it’s all worth it.”

Bronx Healthcare Still in the Stone Age

By Gallia Kassiano

Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not some kind of Star Trek-y who believes in flying saucers and little green men with unusually large heads, but I’m starting to believe that the Bronx is stuck in some kind of time warp. Compared to the other boroughs, the Bronx is still in the Stone Age. How else would you explain our dangerously snail-like progress? In what aspects are we slow, you ask?

Well, there is plenty I could go off on. To fully answer that question, I would need to take up days, perhaps even weeks, of your attention. But alas I am on a deadline and must resort to sticking to only one topic, damn. It is nevertheless a very important topic. Ready? Dum duh dum dum: Healthcare.

Why healthcare? We are, after all, the most polluted borough, not to mention, the heaviest. I could have chosen either of those subjects to discuss and had ample evidence to support my case. The New York Times ran an article today however which addressed health care in the Bronx and well, how crappy it is. And surprise, surprise, it got me thinking.

Although I have two health insurance plans, and most of the doctors under both plans have their offices in Manhattan, where I enjoy empty waiting rooms, a large assortment of magazines to keep me entertained on the rare occasion that I am indeed forced to wait for my doctor, and in some places vibrating massage chairs, I am not in the dark when it comes to the strange and unusual treatment Bronx residents receive in Bronx hospitals. During my sophomore year in high school my family was hit with the news that my mother had developed a tumor near her ovaries the size of an orange. Luckily, it was benign, but she still had to undergo an operation to remove the tumor or face further health complications. Since it was a fairly delicate operation she was required to stay a few nights in the hospital, which is when the problems ensued. Not only was she forced to share a room with a complete stranger when we had specifically asked for a private room, but the hospital blankets she was provided with had holes in them. Yes, holes big enough for your head to go through (it seems funny now, but it was upsetting at the time).

Security in the hospital wasn’t the greatest either. Anyone could have waltzed into a patient’s room. My father, on the other hand, who had undergone minor surgery a year before, had been given a room to himself, with a, dare I say it, working TV, an extra small bed for visitors, and attentive personnel. The difference? Although both operations ran along the same price range, my father’s treatment was at Lenox hospital in Manhattan, while my mother’s took place in Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, located in, you guessed it, the Bronx.

The question that arises then is: “Why isn’t the treatment in Bronx hospitals at the same standard as those in New York City’s other boroughs?”

I don’t believe it is medical expertise, or the lack thereof. It might be an issue of a lack of funds, or maybe just a lack of caring. Whatever the reason, it is time that we put a halt to it. Maybe then we can push the Bronx out of the Stone Age and bring it into to the 21st century.

Bronx Hospitals: A New Analysis

By: Joshua Brooks

On July 26th there was an interesting article in The New York Times. This article appeared under the New York region part of the Times and it was entitled “In Bronx, a Fight for Health and Dignity.” While reading this article, all sorts of feelings were aroused in me.

This article is basically about the crappy healthcare that is associated with Bronx hospitals.
Gloria Altieri, who runs a child development center in a public school, is the focus of this story, along with people that she has come in contact with that have been mistreated in Bronx medical facilities.

Preposterous. If I was to describe in one word the type of misuse and mistreatment that is described throughout the article, I think that is the word that I would use. I mean, at one point a patient went to seek help for aid payments for her handicapped son and she was told by a disgruntled administrator, ''It is not my fault you had a retarded kid.” Is this the type of attitude that is being shown to people who are in need of help in the Bronx? People go to the hospital for help, not so they can be abused and insulted.

I think that this adds to the already diminishing image of the Bronx. We are already known as the most polluted and unhealthy borough. Do we want to be known as the get-mistreated-and insulted-when-you-go-to-the-hospital borough? No, being a Bronx resident all my life, I feel that the Bronx has much more to offer than those potential stereotypes.

Reading this article reminds me of the movie John Q. John Q relates to the issues of health care mistreatment and maltreatment at medical facilities that are supposed to help you. Perhaps, the director of John Q had the Bronx in mind when he wrote that movie

Thirteen: The Movie That Reflects the Age

By: Atanu Roy

As the movie begins, two thirteen-year-old girls are sitting, facing each other, taking drugs and hitting each other in the face. Not a common start for movies, but the start, as well as the name, gives a clear idea about the subject of the movie, Thirteen.

Based on a true story, Thirteen shows the life of a girl named Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood), who comes from a broken family. As she tries to keep up with the so-called modern girls, she becomes a drug addict, starts hanging around with gangs, and eventually becomes a “bad girl.”
Tracy was a good student in school. She had good friends. But she was not as normal as she appeared. She had a tendency of hurting herself by cutting her wrist. As she starts to hang around with the “hot girls” in the school, she starts to change. She leaves her old friends, starts smoking and using drugs, and pierces her tongue and belly button. Her new friend, Evie (Nikkie Reed), introduces her to all this and eventually comes to live in her home. Tracy becomes more and more impatient with her family, especially with her mother who tries really hard to keep everything together. Her father doesn’t live with them, but still tries to help her. But she goes to far to be easily retrieved.

The movie Thirteen is a great work by director Catherine Hardwicke. Overall, the movie talks about our society. But it also poses out one big question: Are our teenagers really this bad off?

Not Another Teen Movie

By Michelle Yakobson

Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll are every parent’s worst nightmare, and this nightmare comes true in Thirteen, a moving and poignant drama about the perils of teen angst and conformity. The film stars Evan Rachel Wood as Tracy, a seventh grader who still enjoys Barbies, goofy socks and science projects. As she walks to school on the first day, Tracy must endure the sneers of the popular clique led by Evie Zamora, played by co-author Nikki Reed. Thirteen is the story of how Tracy revamps herself to be just like Evie, whom she venerates and worships until she realizes that Evie is too manipulative to trust.

Evie is the typical poster-child for rebellion. She introduces, and thus involves, her newfound sidekick Tracy into a world of marijuana, robbery, and body piercings. Tracy gives up both her friends and half her bed for Evie, who quickly becomes a regular in Tracy’s home. Tracy’s mother, Mel, becomes the mom that Evie never had and further intensifies the rift between Tracy and Mel, who constantly argue over Mel’s on-again-off-again boyfriend and half-price haircuts.

Director Catherine Hardwicke does a superb job of portraying the emotional turmoil inflicted upon Tracy and her family. The in-your-face camera angles, sharp, white lighting and nearly black-and-white coloring intensify the scenes of pain and hopelessness. In one scene, Mel runs out of the shower to find her boyfriend, Brady, packing his clothes to run off yet again. She stands there stark naked, her hair straggly, the shadows casting over her face and body. Like she does in many other scenes, Hardwicke uses film techniques to portray Mel’s helplessness and isolation.

Although somewhat stereotypical, Thirteen is brilliantly acted. Wood, Reed, and their costars give heart-wrenching performances that many other films of our time sorely lack. Added to the realism is the writing input by Reed, whose life this story is based on. This movie raises many questions of what it means to be thirteen, how the media influences today’s youth, and the importance of individuality to American teenagers.

[2005] Journalist Profiles

Name: Merlys Alberto
Age: 15
High School: Astor Collegiate Academy (inside Christopher Columbus High School)

I was born in New York City. I am an 80% averagestudent at Astor Collegiate Academy in Columbus High School. I’m a cheerleader and enjoy having fun andbeing myself. In the future I would like to be a crimeinvestigator or a lawyer. I also want to have myown business, and become my own boss.




NAME: Abubeker Ali
AGE: 16
HIGH SCHOOL: Bronx Science

Most people call me Abu, but others call me Booboo or even Anthony sometimes. I love to play with cell phones ALL THE TIME, even though my father took my cellie away. I have a big family of 10 siblings, so I have to share all the time, even though I hate it


Name: Joshua Brooks
Age: 17
High School: John F. Kennedy



Hey everyone, my name is Joshua Brooks Jr. and i am a seventeen years old. I am currently attending John F. Kennedy High School and i am going into my last year. I am on the boys’ varsity football team where i spend most of my time working out and running getting ready for my final season. I have been living in the Bronx all my life and i would’nt have it any other way. When i am not playing football, i enjoy playing the piano, listening to music, watching t.v. and hanging out with my friends. I have hopes to be a lawyer in the future and i plan on attending Penn State University. If i was to describe myself in one word it would be “nonchalant.” I feel that people are always going to try and test you so you have to be ready and you have to prove to others that you are who you are, which brings me to my favorite quote: "I’d rather be hated for who I an than to be loved for who I'm not.''



Name: Cris Chalmers
Age: 17
High School: Astor Collegiate Academy


My full name is Cristopher Kenneth Chalmers, but people just call me Cris. I am a student at Astor Collegiate Academy. I play fullback on the football team. I am 17-years-old. Some of my favorite activities are playing football, video games, and meeting girls. I joined the College Now program for the credits as well as the journalism experience. My goal is to be a professional football player.


Some of my artwork:




Name: Angeline Deschamps
Age: 16
High School: Astor Collegiate

My name is Angeline Deschamps. I go to Astor Collegiate academy in Columbus High School. I'm 16 years old and I was born in the Dominican Republic. My dream job is to be a fashion designer and hopefully work with Giorgio Armani or Ralph Lauren. Well in the real work i would like a career in business management or accounting, but that's not for sure I know that it has many possibilities of changing with time.




Name: Ana Figuereo
Age: 18
High school: DeWitt Clinton



I think being able to go out and die for my country and not being able to drink is just sunflowers and candy! But enough of my “political rants.” I come from a Hispanic home, Dominican to be specific. I live with my mother and I have two older sisters. Creative writing is something that I use as my outlet to relieve stress. The idea of creating poems and short stories to me is quite personal. It's like my blood flows in every piece of writing and that's how they are related to me. I also love to play video games, specifically horror survivor games like Silent Hill and Devil May Cry.




Name: Gallia Kassiano
Age: 16
High School: Dewitt Clinton


I guess I could start off by telling you where I was born and what my childhood was like, but quite frankly I don’t feel like going into it, not to mention that I would probably only succeed in boring you. Instead I’m going to focus on the type of person I am, and since I’m not the type of person that likes to “beat around the bush,” I’ll try to do it in a nutshell, or as you would say in the world of journalism, in a nutgraf. Well, I'm an insomniac, a feminist, a health nut, a rabid procrastinator, an idealist or a pessimist (I can be a half full or a half empty glass type of person, it depends on the mood I’m in). I’m one of those freaks that walks in the rain without an umbrella, dances in their underwear whether it be to heavy metal or disco, reads the back of ingredient labels, and has conversations with their cat. As to my likes and dislikes, they're a mesh of 80’s movies, 50’s rock music, 40’s clothing, 70’s dancing, and 60’s flower power. I guess what it really boils down to is that I’m certainly not your average 21st century teenager, in fact you can call me everything from abnormal to zesty, but don’t call me average.


Name: Zorana Kesar
Age: 17
High School: DeWitt Clinton


I remember waking up to the sound of a rooster, and having to feed chickens in the afternoon, working in the garden with my grandma, and playing hopscotch on the side of the road with my friends. That's what my life used to be like as a young girl growing up in Yugoslavia. Then one day, at the age of 9, my whole world changed when my mother said, "We're going to America." Life has been full of ups and downs ever since. I'm seventeen-years -ld and living in the city that never sleeps, and more specifically in The Bronx. I've learned that you have to work hard to get what you want and then work even harder to keep it. I am so many things. I am a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a friend, a dancer, a writer, a great advice giver, and so much more. My passion has always been acting, but from my disapointments emerged a love of writing that I didn’t even know existed. As for the future, who knows what will happen next?


Name: Taryn Mclean
Age: 17
High School: Lehman H.S.
I'm the average 17-year-old. I'm mostly interested in shopping, school and boys.(lol) Although the College Now program only relates to one of my interests (school),it's a good program. Not only do you earn college credits (lol) but you get a taste of the college life being on campus!



Name: Darah Phillip
Age: 15
High School: Bronx HS of Science


I was born in New York. In my free time I like to do lots of activities, such as playing sports in the park, reading books, and listening to music. I like listening to lots of types of music, including Japanese music, which I frequently listen to. I like watching television as well, and two of my favorite shows are That 70s Show and America’s Next Top Model.


Name: Atanu Roy
Age: 18
High School: DeWitt Clinton


My name is Atanu Roy. I am 18 years old. I am actually from Bangladesh and living in the Bronx, as well as in USA for the last 10 months. Currently I am studying in DeWitt Clinton High School. I play volleyball on the school team and also like to play guitar. My aim in life is to be an architect. Under the College Now program, I am taking the journalism class this summer, which, I believe, is helping me to improve my writing skills and giving me a better view on society.




Name: Rachel Sanchez
Age: 16
High School: DeWitt Clinton High School


I’m from Honduras, Central America, but I was born and raised in the Bronx. Generally, I’m quiet and shy, but people that get to know me find out that I’m a fun, crazy yet dependable person. In my spare time, I love reading, watching movies, listening to music (classical and rock are my favorites) and making paper cranes. My goals include going to college to study United States History and traveling to the United Kingdom.


Name: Stephanie Maria Sanchez
Age: 16
High School: HS of American studies @ Lehman College

I was born and been raised in the Bronx. I like to eat, go shopping, sing in my shower, and dance in front of my mirror. My dreams for the future are to one day have my own magazine for teenagers, something along the lines of Seventeen magazine.


Name: Arthur Sanders
Age: 16
High School: S.C.R.L.(School for Community Research and Learning)


I like reading books, hanging with my friends and rapping. I tend to do well in all of my subjects in school. I am currently attending the College Now program. On my spare time I play basketball and video games. Sometimes I can be a very nice poet, depending on the topic. I also like going to very nice restaurants, even if I'm by myself. I work at McDonald’s and at times I can be a hard worker.



Samantha Seodas
Age: 18
High school: F.L.A.G.S.

In my life, I have had many experiences, bad and enjoyable moments, all of which have helped me prepare for the future. My life has not been a bad ride so far, because I have a lot of people who have been playing an active role in my life. Without my family and friends I don’t think I would manage to survive or be the playful, crazy girl that I am. I’m a very cheerful girl and very talkative amongst the people I know really well.
But I try to live up to the reputation of being a “good girl,” so I try to stay out of trouble most of the time, but its hard to resist getting in trouble. Another thing I really work hard on doing is maintaining a good grade point average. The only reason I work so hard on my grade point average is that I want to get into a good college.
I also try not to spend all my time on academics. I try to do other activities that can help my community and activities that can help me relax. Every Friday I do community service for four hours at a soup kitchen. At the soup kitchen we give food away and we serve a hot meal to everyone that shows up. The soup kitchen is named Vive La Pan. Also, for my own personal relaxation, I hang out with my friend and my sisters.




Name: Pratik Shah
Age: 16
High School: Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy
Interests: History; Political Science; Law; Tennis; Chess
Motto: You make your own fate.


I was born here in America. My parents are from India. I love Eminem’s songs. I love to play tennis and chess. I don’t believe in hell or heaven. However, I believe we the people can make Earth hell or heaven according to our decisions.


Name: Kristen Wallace
Age: 16
High School: High School of American Studies at Lehman College


I was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and immigrated to the United States when I was two-years-old. I enjoy reading, watching obsessive amounts of television, eating, sleeping, going out, and writing. For the first time in my life I have no clue what I want to be when I’m older, but there are occupations that I am considering. I’d like to own and create my own magazine, make documentaries, or, if I ever become brave enough, become an author. My biggest fear is to grow up and not feel fulfilled, but hopefully if I relax, everything will fall into place as it should.


Name: Michelle Yakobson
Age: 17
High School: Hunter College High School



“Look at the hate we're breeding Look at the fear we're feeding
Look at the lives we're leading
The way we've always done before

My hands are tied
The billions shift from side to side
And the wars go on with brainwashed pride
For the love of God and our human rights
And all these things are swept aside
By bloody hands time can't deny
And are washed away by your genocide
And history hides the lies of our civil wars”

~Civil War by Guns N’ Roses

Mission Statement

We are journalists. Our mission is to deliver news and views to our readers. In Room 122, there are reporters and editors working together to find and deliver up-to-minute, newsworthy information. We hope that we will accomplish our goal of informing and entertaining you.