The Touch of Professionalism

By: Jean Kapkanoff

Partitions divide Prudential Kafcos Realty, a real estate agency in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, into a handful of sections comprised mainly of cubicles, all of which are identical, but which also bear the personal touch of each individual agent. Some are adorned with colorful pictures of family members and celebrities, others with the agents’ own artwork. Near the end of the path that leads to the agency’s back room stands a cubicle festooned with notes, signs, folders and paperwork and crowned with a few family pictures that belong to Phyllis Basilone.

Life-long Bronx resident Basilone, 57, has been Prudential Kafcos’s top producing agent for nearly the entire eight years she’s been working there, according to the agency’s broker, Greg Kafcos. Basilone’s clients and co-workers attribute her success to her determination, professionalism, and enthusiasm for her profession. The most significant factor in her success as a real estate agent, however, is perhaps her life-long interest and involvement in the business world.

Originally from the Morris Park section of the Bronx, Basilone was raised in what she describes as a “very Italian family,” where strong emphasis was placed on tradition, morals and values. Since her father’s entire family followed careers in business, Basilone herself developed an interest in business early in life. After finishing high school, she worked several office jobs, but soon found that the office was not the place for her.

“I hated that nine-to-five thing,” declares the tall, slender woman, who is easily identifiable by her fiery red-colored hair. “I knew I always wanted to work with people. I didn’t want to be a secretary or anything; I didn’t like office work.”

So when the owner of a boutique on Westchester Square called The Barn, at which Basilone was a frequent shopper, began looking for a partner to help run the business, she was given the opportunity to fulfill her dream. When the boutique’s owner, whom she remembers only as Felicia, decided to move to Pennsylvania, Basilone took ownership of the store. In addition to learning about the business world and making money, she found that she truly enjoyed what she was doing.

“I loved it. I had a great time,” she says.

After eventually selling The Barn, Basilone worked part-time at a men’s clothing store down the street from The Barn before devoting her time to raising her children, John and Jenna. Upon her daughter’s entrance into high school, Basilone’s love for working with people led her to the real estate business.

Basilone explains that while houses and interior design had always interested her, real estate also allowed her a flexible schedule that she could work around her top priority: her children.

“I needed to be there for my daughter,” she says. “That was the most important thing, that I could still be there for her and make my own hours here.”

Basilone’s background in business has served her particularly well as a real estate agent – her professional attitude, outgoing personality and hard work have made her Prudential Kafcos Realty’s top producing agent. She has received numerous prizes for her work, including the Chairman’s Circle Award – an award given to top producing agents throughout the Prudential network – four years in a row.

“She’s one of the best real estate agents that I know,” says Dawn Kafcos, who works alongside her brother Greg at Prudential Kafcos. “Customer feedback is phenomenal.”

“She’s got what you’d call the gift of gab,” says a fellow agent at Prudential, who cites Basilone’s outgoing and talkative nature as one of the keys to her success.

According to Basilone, what makes someone a successful real estate agent comes largely from within oneself. One must be able to understand a client’s needs, avoid being “pushy,” and keep clients focused on a price range they can afford when looking to buy a house.

“Buying a house is a tremendous investment, and it’s a traumatic experience for people,” she explains, “so you want to make it a happy [experience] for them.”

Mainly, however, the real estate business requires patience, honesty, common sense, and most of all, good listening skills.
“Listen to them,” she says. “Listen to what their needs are. It’s made me do well in this business.”

Aside from her involvement in the real estate business and her commitment to her family, Basilone maintains an interest in crafts such as cooking, cross stitching, and stenciling. However, she states: “Do I have time to do it now? No. This job can command a lot of your time.”

Real estate, however, will be her final career endeavor. Basilone says that after her daughter finishes college, she plans to obtain her real estate license in Florida, where her son lives. From then on, she wants to go back and forth between the two states, selling real estate.

“No,” she says, “I wouldn’t go onto another career. That’s it, I’m done, I’m finished. This is it.”

Mother of Twenty-two

By: Malisa Dutson

Running a daycare can be very difficult thing. There's noise, mess, children that cant, or just choose not to listen and the best time of the day happens to be nap time. But one woman who has always loved kids thinks differently.

"I always enjoyed the company of children," said Tiffany Anderson, owner of a child care facility in Brooklyn called Sunshine Daycare.

Anderson, 45, has owned a daycare for 16 years. She says that her love of children will keep her running this daycare until the day she dies.

"Ever since I was six years old I wanted to own a daycare," Anderson said. As a child, she would always have a baby doll under her arm. She would set up all he dolls and create a doll daycare and always said that one day those dolls would be people.

Anderson has always felt close to children, even as an adult. Most people create daycares in places separate from their own homes for privacy reasons. But with Anderson it was different. I wanted to create a daycare in an environment I was comfortable in so I could become comfortable with the children Anderson said. So she created her daycare within her own home.

In 1991, when she created this daycare, she thought it was going to be hard to find employees. "I was very fortunate," she said. "I didn't have to find my staff because my staff found me."

When Anderson told her friend of twenty years, Joyce Mason, 57, that she was creating a daycare, Mason was all for it. "From day one I was here," Mason said.

Though she loves her job, Anderson explains that there are good and bad days when running a daycare. "Every time you're taking care of other people's children there's always one who may not agree with how their child is being handled or taken care of," she said.

Anderson works with children as young as three months old, all the way up to five, when they are ready for first grade. She teaches children how to eat on their own, how to write and even how to use the bathroom on their own as well.

"I think the hardest thing to do is to teach a child how to use the bathroom because everything else just sort of comes naturally," she said. "Oh, and of course teaching them how to write and tie their own shoes are hard, as well."

"I never had a problem leaving my child with Mrs. Anderson," said a parent who wished not to give her name. "My child loves coming here and sometimes doesn't even want to come home."

Montague Jones Jr., 35, a very close friend of Anderson, feels that her creating a daycare has made her one of the happiest people in the world. "She's a very good person," he says, "thoughtful, kind, and very generous. I even trust her with my own kids, said Jones, There's no one more caring of children than her."

Mason agrees. "She doesn't have any favorites," she said. "The children are all equal and all loved the same."

Although Anderson has only one child of her own, a son, she feels that with daycare she's a mother of twenty-two.

"I know that no kid is prefect and each one will have their own personality," said Anderson. "But that's the greatest part about being around children because you get to teach them, love them, and also learn form them as they grow.

Unlikely Hero

By: Aquib Ali

People these days can beat around the bush all they want. They can jump from one career job to another. Yet, one man knows exactly what he wants to accomplish in life. “I want to go back to my country and help out the poor children in the Dominican Republic,” says Ricardo Castillo, 18, an employee at the Apex Center at Lehman College.

Castillo was born in Puerto Rico, but his parents are from the Dominican Republic. He considers himself to be 100 percent Dominican, but in the early years of his life he went to school in Puerto Rico. When he was ten, Castillo and his family came to New York City. He said it was tough for him to adjust to the American system because he didn’t know any English. He struggled in his studies, but eventually got help from his father and quickly turned into a good student. Castillo attended middle school at P.S. 95, and attended high school at Evander Childs. After High School, Castillo decided to stay in the city and attend Lehman College. Castillo is currently a student at Lehman College, and aims to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration and computer applications.

When he isn’t working on the Lehman College campus, Castillo is helping out his father. His father is a superintendent and Castillo has to help make sure the building is in tip top shape. “I paint, plaster, and clean the building,” he said. He credits his father with helping him become the person he is today. He said his father’s pushed him hard and told him “That this is America, and in America you have to work hard and make your own living, or else you’re going to end up a bum.”
After the speech, his father gave him; Castillo wanted to help people in the Dominican Republic. He said after college he wanted to bring his business and computer smarts to Dominican Republic. “I know I wasn’t born there, but my parents were. Giving back to the poor children in the country would be a great feeling and it would set a good example for the kids. One day I want a kid to say I was their role model, like my father was too me,” said Castillo.

Rap or Religion?

By: Rosa Mancia

Music is an inspiration, something that can change emotions from happy to sad or sad to happy in a second. It offers a way out for so many emotions and also helps you express yourself, said Rene Valdez a young man who dreams of one day becoming a rapper.

Rap began to emerge in the late 1960's and early 70's in Kingston, Jamaica. During the early 1970's rap was being heard in the South Bronx, New York City. Rapping can be traced back to African roots. Its also known as emceeing, which is very important in the hip-hop culture. One important element in rapping is being able to rhyme. By 1990 rap was being accepted, and it was being heard more widely.

"I listen to rap every day," said Valdez, the charismatic teenager who has been motivated since childhood to become a rapper. He got this motivation and desire to rap from Eminem, a famous rapper, whom he admires. Valdez dreams of working with Eminem and learning from this very successful rapper.

Valdez tries to fit rap into his everyday life and takes the opportunity to practice every chance he gets. If I'm in school and I have nothing to do, I'll rap," said Valdez. When I get home I also rap."

My friends hear me rap all the time, mostly at school," he said. His friends support him in his dream and are always willing to hear his new lyrics.

I am supportive of Rene, said Marvin Espana, 16, a close friend of. Everyone has a dream and everyones dream can be accomplished. Hes a bit insane though. Espana has had the chance to not only hear Valdezs lyrics but hes also rapped with him. Rene is progressing, Espana said.

On the other hand, not everyone is supportive of Valdezs dream. His sister, Maria Valdez, 21, is neither a fan nor a supporter of her brothers dream. I am definitely not supportive, she says. I think its a ridiculous idea and a waste of time. I dont think hell make it because of the fact that he doesnt have the talent.

Part of Marias lack of enthusiasm comes from her religion. The Valdez family are members of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Rene has been attending this church with his family since he was a child, and he knows that the church members wouldnt be pleased with his career aspiration.

I dont see a conflict, but I know that other people will see the problem about me wanting to rap, Rene said. I mean, how do you rap and go to church? Its two different things, and thats the problem, he said, looking rather upset. Even for Valdez there is a fine line between rap music and religion and this line shouldnt be crossed.

It would be very hard for someone in church to want to rap," said Pastor Jorge
Romero, of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. In the church there isn't a space for rapping so that the skill can be developed.

Rapping and religion seem to go back to the idea of respect and disrespect. In a sense rapping can be disrespectful as a career for a Christian," said Pastor Romero. The message in the lyrics goes against the church and rap is mundane. Rap and religion are two things that should be separate and they are opposite to one another, he said.

Id never mix religion with rap, said Valdez. I think that would be very disrespectful and idiotic. So where and how does he leave religion?

"Rene supports and believes what the church says, but he doesn't follow it," said his friend. Espana himself understands the conflict of going to church and wanting to rap. Valdezs sister seems to believe that he hates going to church and only goes because he once made a promise to someone that he wouldnt stop going.

Valdez has a decision to make alone but he is taking his time since he is still attending the church that has seen him grow up for so many years. Im afraid to fail, but mostly Im afraid of letting myself down, said Rene Valdez.

Samuel Spital: Civil Rights Lawyer

By: Alberto Aquino

Samuel Spital is a young lawyer who gained a new voice and vocation after his astounding experiences at Harvard Law School.

Spital is a Chesterfield Smith Fellow at Holland & Knight, one of the largest law firms in the world. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2000 from Harvard University and his J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2004. Spital currently works in a non-profit community service team focused on voting rights, the death penalty work, and prison rights. “The most satisfying part is to feel like, even if it doesn’t work out, you really make a contribution in someone’s life,” Spital said.

“I have a client in Louisiana who in my opinion faces a lot of harassment from prison officials,” said Spital. “There have been small changes and it has made such a difference for him to have someone advocating for him. Obviously, it won’t change that he is in a single cell 22 hours a day, but you get to see the effect it has on him and it is really special.”


Spital grew a love for law during his days in college. “I really liked it,” he said about Harvard. “I liked that it was big, that there was a lot of events and there were lots of speakers.” There, he heard an inspiring lecture by Lani Guinier, the influential civil rights scholar who was once nominated by Bill Clinton for assistant attorney general but withdrawn under pressure from conservative media who painted her as a “reverse racist.” “Afterwards I told her that she inspired me to become a civil rights lawyer.” Spital said.

In college, Spital also met and worked with Laurence Henry Tribe, a constitutional law expert and Supreme Court justice. His training led to clerkships with Harry T. Edwards of the United States Court of Appeals, and John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States.

“He's more than his profession or what school he attended,” said Martha Spital, supervising clinical social worker at the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services and mother of Samuel Spital. “He's a great guy not because of his accomplishments but because of whom he is inside and the values he lives by.”

“We had the pleasure to meet one of the federal judges he clerked for and he told us this story,” said Spital’s mother, Martha. “When he saw Sam's resume he wasn't sure he was going to interview him for the highly competitive position. His resume was so stellar he figured Sam would probably not be a nice guy to work with. Sam was in the area so he decided to call this judge to see if he could meet with him. The judge agreed and was so impressed with how personable he is that he offered Sam the job on the spot.”

“I think he is a very good person and he cares about people,” says Dr. Aaron Spital, Elmhurst Hospital Center and father of Samuel Spital. “He believes in doing the right thing and I think that’s his strongest strength.”

All In A Days Work

By Deidre Thompson


Chaotic and hectic are only a few words that describe the atmosphere in which Marisa M. White works. At first glance the office of Bronx Net Television is a place, in which no one seems to have time, but it is actually the complete opposite. The office is a family and at the center of it is the motherly White, according to Marcelo Mindez, colleague and program manager at the station.

The Intern Coordinator of Bronx Net Television, White was born on September 29, 1966, to a working class family. They lived in the Fordham section of the Bronx. Her love of books and media began with her mother. I think I get my love of the written word and beautiful camera work from her. she said. White initially started as an English major at Iona College, then transferred to Fordham University and began taking media classes. She said that Iona was not very stimulating but that changed as soon as she got to Fordham. It [Fordham University] was just a very studious, very academic [place]. said White about her alma mater.

White also attributes her early love of media and the camera to her uncle, a cameraman, who used to travel to places like New Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and India. Once he asked her to assist him on a video shoot and she fell in love with the medium. From then on there was no turning back. While at Fordham, when she was in a psychology course, the professor asked a question that would change her initial plan to become an English teacher .He asked the class If youve been a teacher for 25 years what do you hope to have accomplished? She replied I wasnt sure if I wanted to be in a classroom for 25 years.

White began in the media business while in college and is quick to call it a tough and demanding business. Though she says its a tough and demanding job she clearly loves what she is doing. I enjoy being around the different kinds of people that T.V. brings. she says.

It is perhaps Whites own enjoyment of her job that makes her co-workers to think of her as the mother of the office. A number of her colleagues cannot pinpoint the bad qualities of Marisa White but one gave an answer. She is not able to go home sometimes. said Marcelo Mendez, laughing. Shes like my aunt or my sister said Daehoon Chung, an accountant at Bronx Net Television. She does all she can basically like a mother does and makes sure that everyone hired does their job. she said and also adds I havent seen any of her bad qualities honestly. said Bharati S. Kemraj, another of Whites colleagues.

Whites life however does not begin and end with her job at Bronx Net. She is also a professor of television production at Lehman College . Marisa comes from a news background and the focus she brings to her job at Bronx Net bridges that production experience with the educating and mentoring that is a part of our mission, said Michael Max Knobbe, executive director of Bronx Net Television. She is an actual mother of two children as well as thirty other interns and students she supervises.

I remember a saying my father had about parenting:" you should hold your child as you do a bar of soap: firmly, but gently. she said

Ruby Nagra- ‘FIYA’ Dancer

By: Prabjot Kaur

“A lot of people underestimated us,” said Ruby Nagra, sitting back in her car and staring ahead. “They were like, ‘Oh you can’t do it.’ That just drove us even more and that’s how FIYA came to be.”

Nagra is an upcoming junior at Baruch College who has decided to add more spice to her life by becoming co-captain to the Asian dance group, ‘Baruch FIYA.’ The name started off as a joke when someone said that their group was like ‘fire,’ and they stuck with name, but with a little twist.

Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., Nagra grew up in a Punjabi family, and her dances reflect her Indian roots. While attending Baruch, Nagra went to various dance competitions with her friends, and thrived on the energy. One night, while watching yet another performance, she and her friends decided: “We can do that too!” Putting their heads together, her captain and fellow junior at Baruch, Ruthba Tabassum, came up with the concept of an all-girl, 12-member team, which was an unusual idea. With each member contributing to the group, the team’s own ‘fire’ was created.

“I always wanted to join a dance team,” said Nagra. “And when you see success stories, like these people, can do it, you want to do it too.” Nagra’s presence in the group, however, was not only fueled by her desire to dance. It also became a means by which she could shed the stress of college, embrace her rich cultural heritage, and meet different people.

“It just gets your mind off everything when you’re in the moment,” said Nagra, referring to the stage. “To go in front of hundreds of people, and dance, and have the spotlight, and contribute all you have into it. It’s an incredible feeling.” Nagra’s captain, Tabassum, agrees. “I always wanted to get away and to keep my mind off everything,” she said. “It was perfect.”

Nagra, a tall and slender brunette, entered Baruch in 2005 as a marketing major, but after experiencing the field first hand, she decided it wasn’t for her. Her interests turned to finance, and she plans on pursuing a career in investment banking after graduation. Along with academics, Nagra works as a cashier at Rite-Aid in order to help with the bills and school expenses. Considering her hectic schedule, finding time to rehearse and practice is a feat in itself, but she enjoys the challenge. “It’s so fun!” she said.

The dance team first began to make its mark this year and is gaining popularity amongst the CUNY students. The dances range from classical Indian steps to bhangra, a traditional Punjabi art, to moves inspired by Bollywood film songs, and are held at places like Lincoln Center and Hindu Community Centers, which have large auditoriums. The groups plan out the competition themselves, and get sponsors to help them carry out the presentations. The members of ‘FIYA’ all contribute to the choreography, with Nagra and Tabassum in charge of arranging rehearsals, practices, and planning performances. Half of the girls are novices, while the other half is experienced. “It was a real mess the first time we did it,” Nagra said. “But we’ve learned from our mistakes and we’ve moved on.” The group has entered a few competitions, done performances, and has even headlined at weddings, mostly for practice.

“Competitions are nerve-wracking,” Nagra said. “But it’s inspiring to see other dance teams. To see how they’re different from us. You just learn from each other.” From going to countless competitions, and competing as well, Nagra has experienced the dos and don’ts of performing on stage, and feels that the team has grown from them.

Being in a dance group that’s focused on Indian culture has led Nagra to get a better understanding of her heritage. Nagra went to Queens Vocational High School., where the student population is predominantly Hispanic. She really wasn’t in touch with her Indian roots. Except for her family, Nagra didn’t have a lot of contact with other Indians in her age group, increasing her alienation from her culture. “I was never into the Indian thing in high school,” she said, smiling. “But getting into dance, you learn from each other. I was such confused Desi,”- young South Asian-“But nnow I’ve embraced t.”

Others around campus also take pleasure in Indian cultural dancing. “I enjoy watching Indian dancing,” said Navjot Kaur, a senior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “On TV, all you see all day is American dancing on music videos. It’s nice to see your culture. I mean, you can’t go to your country, but when you see these shows, you get a little taste of India.”

Baruch College welcomes cultural diffusion by sponsoring clubs that emphasize the importance of different cultures. Such clubs include the Asian Cultural Exchange. Another big one is Club India. The people who run the club are part of successful dance teams, one which is ranked third in all intercollegiate Indian dance competitions in the U.S.

Nagra feels that dance has allowed her to meet a lot of different people whom she normally wouldn’t get a chance to talk to because of the vast swirl of students in the CUNY network. “My team is so diverse, it’s not even funny,” she said, laughing. “You get to meet so many people and really get a great social life. You meet people in different majors and you get connections to everything.” Her team ranges from sophomores to seniors, all from different parts of the school, with different aspirations for the future.

“In college it’s hard to find people of your own nationality,” said Kaur. “It’s hard to meet people in general, but these groups help a lot.” She saw ‘FIYA’ perform at a Hindu Temple in May, and said she loved the way the girls brought new energy to the competition and the way they synchronized their steps so well.

Although Baruch encourages cultural diversity, it does not offer financial support the teams need to perform at various competitions. With so many groups at Baruch, it would be impossible and financially draining to support them all. Nagra and her team fund raise on their own in order to attend competitions. “It’s all about marketing,” she said. “The more you promote, the more people will show up.” Facebook has also been a great help in promoting ‘FIYA,’ reaching the maximum amount of audience in the minimum amount of time.

Her family is very supportive of her dancing. “Like 50 members of my family filled the seats at the first competition,” she joked. Bakshish Nagra, her mother, is especially pleased by Nagra’s accomplishments. “She dances beautifully and I’m full of pride,” she said.

At the moment, Nagra is preparing for her next competition, which will take place on September 8th at the Fashion Institute of Technology. As excited as she is, she can’t help but feel nervous. Her group is going to be belly dancing and ribbon dancing for the first time, and now they are practicing as hard as ever. “The more your team progresses, the more you want a challenge,” she said. “You always want to step it up a notch. You know, you get on stage, you have a whole bunch of people cheering for you, and you’ve worked so hard at something. You just want to present it.”

With so much energy going into the art form, could dance become Nagra’s career aspiration? “I’d rather more focus on my education,” she said. Even though it’s just for fun, she feels that it’s helped in academics as well. Learning new moves and memorizing steps helps to enhance a person’s memory, and in the long run, helps her with exams too, she said.

“When I started dancing, it was something different to do,” said Nagra. “And life just got a little more exciting. Anything you like or passionate about, take it up, ‘cause life gets interesting.”

Bronx MAN

By: Mehadi Hassan

Michael Knobbe is a person who loves the Bronx. His interests in the borough’s diverse music and cultures have allowed him to channel the voices of the people from his borough through Bronxnet-the non-profit community television station serving the Bronx.

Knobbe has lived in the Bronx all his life. He is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science (Class of 1987) and completed his undergrad degree in an out of state college but earned his master’s degree at Lehman College. While earning his master’s, Knobbe stumbled upon the subbasement of Carman Hall, which forever changed his life. There, in the basement, he saw a flier advertising for graphic artist for a new TV station-Bronxnet. After applying for the job and becoming Bronxnet’s first graphic, Knobbe saw the station grow over the coming 14 years. Being such a dedicated worker for the station, Knobbe was appointed executive director for Bronxnet in 2002, which fits the love he has for the Bronx and offers him a way to express it.

Doing an on-air job was not Knobbe’s dream, as his passion since childhood had always been for music and art. “I loved art and music,” Knobbe says. “I wanted to do art one way or the other, even before I started working at Bronxnet.” So what changed Knobbe’s mind?

“An epiphany happened when I was asked to produce and edit this performing art series and that’s when I really started to know I loved this medium,” he says. “I came to love editing and shooting and producing.”

“Michael loves what he’s doing and likes for the public voice to be heard,” says Bharati S Kemraj, administrative assistant to Knobbe. “He is the guardian angel of Bronxnet.” Kemraj has worked closely with Knobbe for a couple of years and noted that Knobbe spends all of his time trying to keep Bronxnet on the air because he cares so much about the public voice. “What Michael is doing is giving back as much as he can to the people of the Bronx community,” says Kemraj. “His bad habit is spending every minute he has dedicated to this station.”

Why does Knobbe love the Bronx so much? “It’s a beautiful community,” he says. “I have a passion for this place. I have an affinity for the media in the Bronx. I love what we share in the borough.” Knobbe has been a Bronxite all his life and has been very successful in protecting the voice of his borough. “He’s been a busy, industrious person,” says Shawn Smith, Knobbe’s senior editor. “Since he’s industrious he’s so successful.”

Knobbe’s love for diverse cultures is not limited to the Bronx. “Whenever we get the chance, we connect to the world we shoot it,” says Knobbe. “We sent out cameras to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Sahara Desert, Morocco.” Knobbe even wears an armband he received from the Sahara desert to show how much he loves diverse cultures.

Knobbe has a passion for the Bronx and wants to keep the public voice of the borough alive. “Michael is the Bronx,” says Smith. “If you say the Bronx, you can say Michael synonymously.”

A Changed Woman

By: Keisha Ramos

Described as a lovable mother, a caring person, a true friend, by her friends, Aixa Morales has, however lived a life of hurt and hardships.

“Since the day I was born my life was difficult,” Morales said. At the age of one her parents divorced. She and her twin sister were raised by her mother. Morales was born August 26, 1961 , in Bronx , N.Y. Morales and her twin sister lived a “wild life.” “We would act out in the streets, looking for trouble,” she said. While their mother thought they were sleeping, Morales and her sister would go out partying, and getting into trouble.

Morales is tall, with long black curly hair, with the looks of a model. The “wild life” she lived as a child, grew to being the “wild life” she lived as an adult. “I got into relationships with guys that were worth nothing,” she said. A man she described as “one of these guys” was her first husband, with whom she had a daughter. “He used to beat me up everyday and he was using marijuana, and I got into marijuana with him,” she said. As time passed, Morales’ life with her husband got harder and she eventually left him.

What she found instead was a drug dependency. She was sniffing a lot of cocaine, doing really badly. Her best friend, Ivonne Rodriguez, helped her out. “If it wasn’t because of Ivonne, I think I would have been dead right now,” Morales said. “I thank god so much that I’m not.”

But Morales got even deeper into drugs when she met Orlando, her second husband, which whom she had a son and a daughter. Orlando was a popular drug dealer in Puerto Rico . “He was getting really big in that world,” Morales said. Due to that he had a lot of enemies. One night a friend of Orlando ’s came to pick him up. Morales’ son wanted to go with his dad, but something told Morales not to let him. “That was the last time I saw him,” stated Morales, referring to her husband Orlando. “We searched for him the next day everywhere. One night I had a dream to go to some mountain in Puerto Rico.” Police found Orlando murdered, chopped into pieces, and dumped in a trash can in a mountain in Puerto Rico .

“Aixa cried for months,” said Rodriguez. “That was a big impact on her.” That’s when Morales realized she needed to change, she needed to let go of that life. “Now I see Aixa Morales and I say, ‘wow, she has changed a lot, and I’m happy,’” said Rodriguez. “I love her a lot. There’s always a magnet that connects us together.”

Although Morales has many people that love her, such as Rodriguez, her twin sister, her kids, and her last husband, Morales also has enemies. “To tell you the truth, I never liked her, never did, never will,” said her first husband’s sister. “I hate what she did, raising my niece in a horrible atmosphere full of drugs and alcohol.”
“I committed many mistakes in my life,” admits Morales. Many mistakes that make me the person I am today, also a person that is still alive. And now I look up to God and I tell him….thank you.”

Dancing Spirits

By: Ericka Aguilar

With dance auditions and recitals on her “To-Do” list, Michelle Gonzalez, 17, a student at Cristo Rey New York High School, is dancing her way into performing on Broadway one day.

At the age of seven, when Gonzalez first began taking ballet lessons, she realized that all she wanted to do was dance. She would attend her dance classes in her church’s basement three days a week and also practice at home in her spare time. With all the skills Gonzalez acquired, she was able to participate in more than five recitals, two plays and one solo. So far, she’s won six trophies in competitions, many of which she won first place.

“Many people think that ballet is boring,” Gonzalez said, “To me, ballet is my yoga with the blisters and the pain.” According to Gonzalez, her career is just beginning. As a child, she enjoyed dancing as the fairy in a school play, but now she wants to dance as the fairy in a dramatic musical on Broadway. “I love it,” she said, “but I’m not the only one competing to dance on Broadway.”

Marissa Hunter, 18, another dancer who is also competing to dance on Broadway, says that Gonzalez is a very hard worker. “She is an ambitious person, but I will do whatever it takes to get to Broadway,” she said, “even if I have to knock her out my way.” Hunter notices Gonzalez’s hard work and sometimes she feels that they are both in a race or competition. “She’s very competitive,” she says, “Sometimes I don’t want to get in her way, but it’s showbiz.”

Gonzalez believes that her number one supporter is her mother, Blanca Gonzalez, who has always stood at her side. “Michelle is a very strong person. I’ve seen her fallen so many times, but obviously she learns from her mistakes,” she said. Mrs. Gonzalez says that she attended all of her daughter’s performances and says she’s getting better and better every time.

Gonzalez will be attending her senior year in the fall. She still doesn’t know what college to look forward to, but she is setting high expectations for herself. “I’m just letting the world know to look out for me,” she says, “and to keep an eye out for me in Broadway.”

THE CHRISTIAN CHILD: DEVOTION vs. DENIAL

By Stacy-Ann Ellis

Every Sunday, Megan Wilkinson sits in the pews of St. John’s United Methodist Church and sings the hymns along with the rest of the congregation, holding the Bible in both hands. Though the majority of the church sees her as the ideal Christian child, the connection between her and the book in her lap could never be more distant.

“She is involved with the youth, involved in the youth choir, and part of the dance ministry,” said Janet Greaves, a member of the Divinity Dancers, the praise dance group within the church. Greaves only mentions a few of the many ways that Wilkinson has been active in her church. Aside from being a praise dancer and a choir member, Wilkinson has volunteered her time in the nursery, watching the children of adults wishing to peacefully enjoy services. Not only does she volunteer her services in church, she also offers to baby-sit the children of the church on her own time. Megan Wilkinson is the pure, innocent, all-around perfect follower of God. “Megan has been a pillar of this church,” said Keith Price, a lay leader for St. John’s United Methodist Church. “She’s one of those who return to give back to God that which God has blessed her with.”

Wilkinson, however, has another take on her relationship with God. “I count myself as a Christian but I don’t believe in the Lord half the time,” confessed Wilkinson. She says being a Christian is “just a title.” In fact, she is skeptical when it comes to faith: “I’m not going to accept the Lord until I see some action.”

Wilkinson is one of the most un-traditional “Christians” you may find in St. John’s. “I think Megan’s freaky,” said Shenley Boyce, a child at St. John’s. With five piercings in her right ear, four on her left, one in her naval, and a tattoo on her foot, Wilkinson definitely stands out among the congregation.

However, her physical features are not the most prominent and puzzling aspect of her life. “‘You can’t honestly call yourself a lesbian and a Christian. They don’t exist.’” These words came from her very own mother, Wilkinson said. She has been sure of her sexuality since she was 12-years-old and battling her parents’ opposition to it. “The fact that I was dating a female was outrageous to them,” she recalls. “‘We didn’t raise you in a lesbian lifestyle. You can’t be a lesbian.’” After her parents finally discovered her lifestyle on Myspace and had a family meeting about it, her father refused to talk to her for “about 4 to 5 months” and her mother wouldn’t even look at her for a while. She had to confide in her aunt, the only family member who could understand her.

Though she is often misread, misinterpreted, as well as both under and overestimated, pseudo-Christian Megan Wilkinson makes sure that she is the only one in control of her life. “I’m a grown child. I know what I am doing. I may act like I’m stupid just to fool you, but mark my words, I know what I’m doing.”

The Man Behind the Scenes: John Driver

by: Aquib Ali, Carol Fernandez, Tamesh Sukul

People are unique in their own ways and can teach you a lot about life and what it takes to be a successful person. “You can say I was hand picked because there aren’t a lot of people that, I think can teach video production, that have professional experience,” says John Driver, a teacher at the video production, program at College Now.

Since Driver was young, he wanted to be in the field of video production. He enjoyed watching movies and wanted to be an actor. Surprisingly enough his parents supported him in his goals. “My mother was a teacher and so was my father. They always supported me no matter what,” said Driver. His career in the video production industry dates back to when he was involved in soap operas such as, “Search for Tomorrow,” and the “Edge of Night.” “It was a great experience for me, being a part of those soap operas,” said Driver.

Saying Driver is just a teacher at Lehman College would be an understatement. Driver has guest starred in Law and Order a few times, has worked for News 12 the Bronx and is currently working with BronxNet.

At the end of the Lehman College Now program, he wishes to leave twenty students with a sense of how to tell a story through pictures. “I want them to have the professionalism needed to go forward in this business. I want them to understand the time pressures that they’re under, and a little picture of what it’s really like in the real world and doing this on a daily basis,” says Driver.

Sherwood McPhaul- Future Lifesaver

By: Alberto Aquino and Prabjot Kaur

“I quit my job,” said Sherwood McPhaul, a student majoring in social work at Lehman College. “That’s how much I believe in it.”

McPhaul is a 39-year-old who moved back to the city from Suffolk County, Long Island, to pursue his aspirations of becoming a clinical therapist, serving those who abuse chemical substances and suffer from various mental illnesses. Going back to school “so late in life,” as he puts it, McPhaul found his age to be his biggest obstacle. To fulfill his dreams, he quit his job as a clinical case manager for HIV/AIDS and reentered the academic world. He is majoring in social work and expects to get his master’s degree in that field, “with God as my mentor.”

“I have an altruistic personality,” said McPhaul. “I can’t change the world, but I would just like to possibly help somebody see that there is light; to be able to see a future with hope.” McPhaul believes that medication is not the only solution in helping those who suffer from different psychiatric disorders. Instead, he believes when the medications lose their effect, patients experience loneliness and depression and can only be cured if they find someone to talk to. McPhaul wants to be that person.

His first step in becoming an ear for the depressed was to learn all that he could about psychiatry and social work. Because, as he said, he heard such good things about the social work program at Lehman College, he moved back to the city to attend it. “Right now, I would like to hopefully find a mentor and go to him and be humble, and have some humility, and hope to learn as much as I can learn in order to become an effective therapist,” said McPhaul.

McPhaul has seen the effects of mental illness and substance abuse first hand in his own family, and knows the damage it can do. “America has had a love affair with drugs for a very long time,” he said. “This love affair has gotten to a point where it has blown to astronomical proportions.” “This epidemic,” as he put it, can only end one person at a time. McPhaul’s main objective at this point is to learn as much as he can about the field of social work so that he can reach people through his words and practice.

“It took a lot of soul searching,” said McPhaul. “It took a lot of prayer, and not only prayer, but meditation. You pray for an answer; you meditate to hear it.”

FAMILIA

By Christina Baerga and Stacy-Ann Ellis

As the saying goes, “the family that plays together stays together.” But what about working together? Long time Lehman College employee, Fausto Ramirez, has something to say about that.

The 44-year-old assistant director of public safety at Lehman College since 1984 has worked with his wife, Sonia, an accounts payable manager at Lehman. They try to travel to and from work together, but keep their distance during work hours. “We try to avoid each other,” said Ramirez. “We’re in separate buildings. It’s better that way.” He avoids his wife at work because he treasures their marriage and wants to keep it strong.

“We’ve been married now for 23 years,” Ramirez said. “She was my high school sweetheart.” The two met each other at age 17 and still love each other dearly to this day.

The Ramirez’s raised two children, both of whom attended college. The eldest daughter recently graduated from St. John’s University with a degree in graphic design. “She’s working for Urban Latino”—a magazine—“and is the junior graphic designer for the company,” said Ramirez. His son, meanwhile, is entering his second year at John Jay College, studying criminal justice, “just like his father.” Ramirez Sr. is proud that his son has not only chosen to attend the same college that he did, but that Ramirez, Jr. is also following the same career path.

Culture remains an integral part of this family’s life. Ramirez was raised in New York in a Puerto Rican family. When his mother was nine months pregnant with him, she left Puerto Rico and came to the States. “You could say I was made in Puerto Rico, but born here,” jokes Ramirez. He tries to visit his retired parents in Puerto Rico as often as he can, but due to his busy work schedule, that ends up being “once every three years.”

As a proud Puerto Rican man, he lives day by day loving his wife and his two children. He treasures the traditional values of his heritage and makes them a part of his household life. “We still keep the same music,” he said. “I even play the old music and now my kids like it too.” “The way my father and mother raised us [was] teaching us to…stay together all the time.”

The Making of a Teacher

By: Malisa Dutson, Jean Kapkanoff

I never would have been a teacher if not for that, said Jay Gurka, 61, seated in his office at Lehman College .

Retired teacher Gurka is the assistant coordinator of College Now, a program in Lehman College . Before his retirement, Gurka was an assistant principal for guidance at Jane Addams High School , a high school on 2373 East 30th Street, where he often worked with students who were taking College Now courses. But his goal in life wasnt even close to becoming a teacher or even being someone who works with kids.

As a graduate student at Long Island University in the sixties, Gurka studied accounting, business law, and bookkeeping. By 1969, he was working as an accountant. At that time, the United States was involved in the Vietnam War, and Gurka, who was 23 at the time, was classified as 1A, meaning he could be drafted into the armed forces at any time.

I dont believe in war, said Gurka, a pacifist to this day. As teachers were exempt from being drafted in order to avoid a situation that would have completely contradicted his beliefs, Gurka decided to pursue a career in education.

I felt I could do more good by being a teacher than going to war, he said. I would be a terrible solider.

Once the war was over, Gurka found himself in love with teaching, and he never returned to accounting. He has been teaching for over thirty years.
His objection to war did not end with the Vietnam War which was finally concluded in 1975. Gurka became certified in conflict resolution and mediation as part of his training. He feels that many wars could be prevented if people would take the time to listen to one another. According to him, the practice of conflict resolution is not always successful because people are not always willing to resolve their problems peacefully.

People have to be accepting of the process, he says. People dont realize that listening is a skill.

La Música Es Su Vida

By: Shahida Arabi, Mehadi Hassan, Deidre Thompson

Music pervades Armando Rodríguez's life. An adjunct professor in the department of music at Lehman College, a cornet and trumpet player, and a co-director of the Lehman College Latin Jazz Band, 55 year-old Rodríguez spends his days orchestrating a diverse group of people, all united by their shared love of Latin music.

As co-director, Rodríguez is one of the very few Latinos who are involved in Latin Jazz Band. This band began in 2003, and currently has about 22 members. Ironically, the Latin Band’s membership has what Rodríguez called “a minority of Latinos.” While there are three Latin in the band, there are also musicians who hail from Japan, France, and Canada. Teachers and students alike from Lehman College constitute a majority of the band, allowing for diversity of age as well as ethnicity.

The Latin Jazz Band has not only brought people together, it has enriched Rodríguez's life by allowing him to share his gift with the community. Writing music for the band has been a creative outlet for Rodríguez, who is passionate about the impact Latin music has had on mainstream culture, an effect he calls “international.”

So what makes these people interested in music that is not “their own? Rodríguez says the Latin Jazz Band gives people of different backgrounds and experiences a "way of expressing [themselves] and being creative" in a college setting.

"Just because it's a Latino band doesn't mean you have to be Latino to be in it," as Rodríguez said.

For more information on the Latin Jazz Band at Lehman College, visit: http://lclatinjazzband.blogspot.com

Mini-Profile: Vanessa Cruz

By: Ashley Dreier and Keisha Ramos

Vanessa Cruz used to be a reckless, unthinking teen. But due to many obstacles she’s had to face, her character has taken on a serious tone.

Cruz now attends Banana Kelly High School, a school for students who are in need of a second chance. But for the first two years of high school, she was home schooled. Statistics shows that students who are home schooled have the highest scholastic achievement; 24.5% are enrolled in classes that are one or more grades above their age level. However, statistics are not something that Cruz cares about.
“It’s definitely not every kid’s dream come true,” she said, referring to the experience of being home schooled. “Especially when you’re a teenage girl and all you want to do is stay away from home.”

Cruz’s mother felt that sending her daughter to high school could have a negative effect on her and her sister. “She didn’t want us to be influenced by any druggies or hang out with the ‘wrong crowd,’” said Cruz. Even though Cruz’s mother had good intentions, home schooling her kids had the opposite effect. “It was a horrible experience,” Vanessa said. “I couldn’t go out and meet new people. “I wasn’t really exposed to the world.”

Because Cruz wasn’t “exposed to the world,” she found herself unprepared to deal with her mother and step-father’s separation. “I cried for nights,” she said. “It was so painful the first few weeks, but now I’m learning to deal with it little by little.”Even though he’s not her father by blood and she doesn’t live with him anymore, Cruz still treats him like her biological dad and frequently visits him.
And ironically, she has now begun to finally appreciate her real father, whom she hated all of her life.

“I visited him after so long and saw that he does care about us. He had pictures of us all over his apartment.” said Jessica Cruz, 18 year old sister. Cruz’s mom told Vanessa and her siblings that their biological father didn’t want anything to do with them, but because of her sister’s recent visit she discovered that’s not true. Being sworn to secrecy, Cruz can’t say anything about this to her mother, so instead she just bottles up her anger of being lied to all these years. “I would love to confront her about the truth,” she said.

Even though Cruz had a bit of a rough childhood, she decided to make that into a positive thing and learn from her parents’ mistakes so she herself could be an ideal parent to her future kids. “They won’t be home schooled, that’s for sure,” she said. “I drove my mother crazy being home all the time; No way are my kids going to do that to me. I want them out!”