“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” Raises the Bar for Film Surrealism
(Photo via Netflix)
By Brittany Aufiero
A psychological thriller and skillful enterprise in the art of subdued horror, director Charlie Kaufman’s latest film purports to follow the story of a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who contemplates the longevity of her relationship during an evening of “meet-the-parents” with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons). Released Aug. 28 in select theaters and available on Netflix as of Sep. 4, the apparently simple premise of “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is made complicated as viewers realize that the truth is subjective and nothing is truly as it seems in the lives of this young couple.
Although the young woman’s perspective is front-and-center, including voice-over monologues and asides that tell viewers exactly what she’s thinking, her name is never made entirely clear. She is Lucy, then Lucia, then Louisa - a revolving door of L-starting names, never claiming a single one for more than a moment. Her profession, too, changes at key moments in the film, such as when Jake beams while telling his parents over dinner that she is an artist, but later mentions she is studying microbiology, then gerontology.
The strangeness begins with her, but Jake and his family are also an experiment in contradictions. While he is quiet and cheerful when alone with his girlfriend, he’s quick to anger in the presence of his parents, who seem to embarrass him. In one scene he shouts and slams his fists on the dinner table, furious that his mother pronounced the name of a game he was good at in childhood wrong. His parents only deepen the unease. His mother (Toni Collette) ricochets between periods of sullenness and intense euphoria - crying, speaking loudly, and laughing at inappropriate moments. Jake’s father (David Thewlis), on the other hand, looks worn and wears a bandage on his forehead that is never explained.
Jake (Jesse Plemons) and his girlfriend (Jessie Buckley) prepare to sit down to dinner with his parents (Left to Right: Toni Collette and David Thewlis) in his childhood home. (Photo via of Netflix)
“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is a master director’s dream realized, and at the dinner our unnamed - or overly named - narrator sees firsthand what the rest of her life will look like if she and Jake remain together. Jake’s parents grow old and fragile between one scene and the next. Jake’s father is in full control of his mental faculties in one moment, and then suffering from the late stages of dementia minutes later. She begs Jake to take her home as she watched him spoon-feed his dying mother, who was only minutes ago in good health, sipping wine. Kaufman confronts mortality and the human ego with startling clarity as the narrator realizes that she will eventually exist to Jake merely as a source of validation for his life choices.
Kaufman is no stranger to viewer speculation on the hidden messages and underlying meanings in his projects. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as a writer for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” in 2005 and made his directorial debut in 2008 with the film “Synecdoche, New York,” a postmodern comedy-drama which also blurs the lines between reality and fiction.
A gem of surrealism, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” evokes feelings of existential dread but does so while appealing to our most intrinsic desire to understand what we are watching. Our narrator is relatable and women will empathize with the conflicting feelings she voices on her relationship with Jake. Jake, too, is an enigma up until nearly the very end, when we can finally start to piece together the reality of what is going on. It’s surely a film you’ll need to experience twice, but you’ll savor every minute of it.
Lehman Students Oppose Voter Suppression
(Illustration by Isma Hasan)
By Zarin Siddiqua
Five weeks away from the presidential election on Nov. 3, 2020, many Lehman students fear that voter suppression will get even worse due to the current pandemic.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat, signed a bill on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, allowing voters to request an absentee ballot if they cannot show up at a polling location because of the risk of contracting or spreading illness, the New York Times reported, effectively permitting the state’s more than 12 million registered voters to vote by mail.
However, President Trump has peddled false claims or imaginary threats about voting by mail over a hundred times this year, according to the Washington Post. The paper also reported that he accused state officials of trying to rig the outcome and encouraged people to vote twice, which is illegal. CNN stated that Trump urged his supporters in North Carolina to "be poll watchers" when they vote to guard against "the thieving and stealing and robbing" he claimed would occur as voters cast their ballots.
Against these attacks, Lehman students strongly defend the power of the vote. “Voting is my voice,” said Brain Wong, Lehman senior majoring in English. “This is how we demand change, this is how we build a better future.”
“When you don’t vote, you are losing economic opportunities, educational opportunities and the consequences could be massive,” said Lehman Africana studies and Latin American studies Professor Sarah Ohmer, who is currently working to register Lehman students to vote. “If you don’t want white supremacy in the office, come to any Lehman faculty member and we will help you register. You are not alone. This is a community movement.”
According to NBC News, voter suppression in 2020 is not allowing early voting and absentee voting. “Now in a pandemic we are seeing rhetoric intended to discourage the use of mail voting which is so important to voters wanting to cast their ballot safely from home,” said Eliza Sweren- Becker from Brennan Center for Justice. “Voter fraud is used to justify voter suppression policy that isn’t necessary.”
“If you don’t want white supremacy in the office, come to any Lehman faculty member and we will help you register. You are not alone.”
Thirty-six states have identification requirements at the polls, and seven have strict photo ID laws, under which voters must present one of a limited set of government-issued photo ID to cast a regular ballot – no exceptions, reported the ACLU. Over 21 million US citizens do not have government-issued photo identification, in large part because ID cards aren’t always accessible to everyone.
“There is a lot of voter suppression in America. Now with COVID-19, more people are going to be disenfranchised because they can’t vote like before,” said Sumana Ali, Lehman philosophy senior who is currently the Vice President of Student Government. “One of the initiatives I’m working on as the Chair of the Student Legislative Assembly is voter registration. We want to get the black and brown vote out of Lehman this year.”
“My message is to those who didn’t vote, but yet are angry about the person in the office and the changes in the nation. You could have made a change,” said Tania Camarillo, Lehman English Education Junior. “One vote matters! Your voice matters! Let’s make sure that they hear our voices as we go and vote for our rights”
Important dates:
● The early voting period runs from Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, to Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live
● The deadline to request a ballot by mail is Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020.
● The deadline to register in-person to vote is Friday, Oct. 9, 2020.
● The deadline for registering by mail to vote is (postmarked by) Friday, Oct. 9, 2020.
● The deadline to register online to vote is Friday, Oct. 9, 2020.
● Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Lehman Students Mourn the Death of Chadwick Boseman
(Photo via Victoria Will/Invision/AP)
By Esgardo Castelan
Actor Chadwick Boseman is perhaps best known as T’Challa, King of Wakanda in the MCU’s “Black Panther,” but his career was only just beginning when he passed away from stage 4 colon cancer on Aug. 28, at the age of 43. As one of the first black male actors to star as the title-lead in a superhero film, his death has hit the Lehman community especially hard.
“Considering how he acted in his biggest movies while undergoing extensive cancer treatment, his work ethic was amazing,” said Emeka Bouszer, 21, a Lehman senior studying computer science. “I related heavily with the characters that he played as a black male myself.”
Boseman made his breakthrough as a performer in 2013 when he was cast as Jackie Robinson in “42,” a biographical film about the baseball player. During the span of his career, he became a recognizable actor through his roles on other projects, including the 2014 film “Get On Up,” in which he starred as singer James Brown, “Marshall” (2017) where he played Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and even as recently as the 2019 film “21 Bridges.”
According to Boseman’s family members and others closest to him, he first received his cancer diagnosis in 2016 and underwent both surgeries and chemotherapy in the four years since then, all while continuing to act and star in well-loved films.
Boseman’s portrayals of strong, influential black men and characters has inspired and empowered black people around the globe. 27-year-old recent Lehman graduate Michael Cello stated, “He gave us something to be proud of because he represented a strong character in real life.” For black communities across the country, Boseman existed as a symbol of hope and success, showing them that they are all superheroes in their own right.
In light of current Black Lives Matter protests and discussions going on across the country in response to instances of police brutality - including the murder of Louisville, KY resident Breonna Taylor as she slept in her home this past March, as well as George Floyd’s murder while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May - Boseman’s death has dealt a significant blow to black communities.
In a PBS News article by Joshua Barajas, clinical psychologist and associate professor at University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology Monica Williams stated, “Every black person I know is exhausted just from life right now.”
The impact of Boseman’s death is acutely felt by Lehman students, many of whom looked up to Boseman and are in mourning. Multiple Lehman students have paid homage to Chadwick by posting his picture on their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds, acknowledging his influence and expressing that he will be missed.
Lehman senior and exercise science major Ferdinand Essizewa, 22, said “it was tough. I’m African and I love to be in touch with my roots. But there was absolutely no piece of media here that allowed me to feel unique or special [other] than Black Panther.”
Online Opportunities Ensure Students’ Success
By Michael Omoruan
Since the pandemic closed Lehman’s campus on March 12, many students have had to either work remotely or lose out on potential internship opportunities altogether. Despite the shock of COVID-19 closures, virtual career fairs and online resources like the Braven Accelerator course and the ALPFA Virtual Symposium have given students new opportunities that would not have otherwise been available to them.
A logo of the nonprofit ALPFA. (Photo via ALPFA)
Edil Abreu, an accounting major at Lehman, relied on both organizations to adapt to the new normal. “As someone who has never taken a fully online class before, this [closure] brought new challenges to light. Luckily for me, I had Braven and ALPFA by my side.” Abreu explained that Braven “helped me improve my networking skills, short term and long-term goals, [and] ALPFA helped me take that next step that I needed to elevate my professionalism.
Founded in 2013 by Aimee Eubanks Davis, Braven is a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping college students with career-ready skills and resources to ensure they can find work post-graduation. Once students enroll in the course, they are placed into cohorts where they work with peers and an assigned leadership coach to work on weekly online modules and meetings dubbed “learning labs.”
Students are taught job-ready skills and practices during these classes and frequently attend workshops led by members of the Braven team to learn how to network, handle common interview questions, and create their own brands over the course of approximately 6 months. Once students complete this course, they become Post-Accelerator Fellows (PAFs) who can stay in touch with Braven team members and regularly receive job-posting newsletters about national and local companies that are currently hiring.
The Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) is another national NGO that focuses on building up its members to become leaders. Both organizations consist of individuals that are more often than not, part of marginalized communities including African Americans, Latinx, and more. Because these organizations were able to adapt rather quickly to the pandemic, they continue to serve their communities.
A logo of the nonprofit Braven. (Photo via of Braven)
Braven hosts webinars that continue teaching current fellows and PAFs ways to advance their college careers. ALPFA recently hosted a virtual symposium on Aug. 5, where recruiters and employees from Fortune 500 companies, like Microsoft and Bank of America dedicated time to interview and talk with a majority of STEM majors.
“The Braven Accelerator program has helped me tremendously with virtual opportunities,” said Afsana Akther, speech-language and audiology major at Lehman. “I secured an internship at New York Vocal Coaching with the help of my Braven leadership coach and working with other fellows. Braven made me job-ready by providing collaborative online modules, networking activities, mock-interviews, and virtual sessions.”
“From helping me build a professional resume, to boosting my interview skills and elevator pitch, ALPFA also connected me with an extensive network of young and current professionals through the ALPFA Convention and other events,” said Benjamin Arias, an accounting major and Lehman senior.
“I was fortunate enough to receive follow-up interviews from multiple companies and received a total of five internship offers for 2021.”
Arias felt grateful for the resources ALPFA offered him. “Both of these organizations gave me the necessary tools to land an internship at a Big Four accounting firm during the pandemic. I was fortunate enough to receive follow-up interviews from multiple companies and received a total of five internship offers for 2021.”
The ALPFA Lehman chapter typically meets every Tuesday at 4 p.m. via Zoom. The Braven Accelerator is a 3-credit course offered every fall and spring semester and is open to all majors.
On Instagram @alpfalc and @bebraven, alpfa.org, and/or bebraven.org.
How Lehman Students Remade Lost Summer Plans
(Photo via CUNY Herbert H. Lehman Lehman College)
By David Kolade
The outbreak of COVID-19 that began in March crept into summer and affected many students’ plans by halting vacations, internships, and jobs. As a result, students struggled to find other ways to occupy their time and adapt to the new normal.
“I was supposed to go to Massachusetts where I would complete a fully funded research program at Novartis Pharmaceuticals,” said Lamount Evanson, a Lehman biochemistry major. “However, due to COVID-19, the research program was canceled. I was offered a position in the next summer program, however since I am graduating in January, they said I cannot do it as I have to be enrolled in an undergraduate institution.” And while he was able to work for the Office of Prestigious Awards as a WAC Junior Fellow facilitating a summer program, he was unable to do any research there.
Other students also lost opportunities due to COVID policies. “My plans for the summer were to do an internship, shadow a doctor, and travel. As a result of the pandemic, I was not able to do these plans,” said Mariam Kamara, a health service administration major. “The hospital wasn’t accepting any interns because it was closed. I wasn't able to go to the country that I wanted to because they weren’t allowing people to come in and travel bans were placed. I ended up staying in the house while taking a summer class.”
Likewise, disruption forced Ezekiel Olumuyide, a chemistry major with a concentration in biochemistry, to sacrifice an important goal. “I had a project to complete at the National Institute of Health on studying the STAT3 pathway in immune cells, and the project would have led to the publication,” he said. “However, due to the pandemic, the program was canceled. [So] I decided to improve my bioinformatics skills by working with Dr. Manfred Philipp on elucidating the molecular basis of SARS-CoV as an application investigating SARS-CoV-2.”
“The hospital wasn’t accepting any interns because it was closed. I wasn’t able to go to the country that I wanted to because they weren’t allowing people to come into the country.”
Some students also highlighted the unexpected opportunities that they met while facing the losses of others. “In my case, I applied to a lot of internship opportunities but I got rejected for most of them,” said Edward Adjei, a major in business administration with a concentration in finance and a minor in media communication studies. “After I joined [the Association of Latino Professionals for America] and got my resume reviewed by some of the amazing board members, I was able to confidently apply to many opportunities for the summer. I was fortunate enough to land one internship opportunity through ‘Project Destined’ which was a 5-week real estate internship, and I got the chance to learn a lot about the fundamentals of real estate, ownership, and acquisitions,” Adjei added. “I am grateful for having that internship experience which I can put on my resume to showcase the skills I gained.”
Sex Workers Hurt by Pandemic Shut-downs
(Photo via Red Umbrella Fund)
By Ogochukwu Ononiwu
Sex workers are one of the many invisible demographics in our neighborhood whose work came to a standstill due to the pandemic. As a result, many of those affected have had to rethink what sex work looks like for the “new normal.”
Debra, a Lehman student and sex worker had an online presence before the pandemic forced her to become fully remote. “Because of the virus, now it’s mostly remote modeling and [other forms]. Sex work is kind of impossible right now,” she said. Sex workers face even more discrimination because they are seen as disease-spreaders, she added. She now relies on her education, tutoring, and previous experiences in the nonprofit world to get by.
Before the advent of COVID-19, Debra explained that sex work allowed her to reach her goals. She was working towards a degree in health services administration and sociology when she first turned to sex work was as a model and adult film actress at the age of 22. Across most of the United States, while prostitution is illegal, sex work has various legal forms like stripping and pornography.
Debra went into sex work consciously, she explained, as a means to support herself, her grandmother, and her partners. In 2014, she became more active in sex work because of school expenses. “Sometimes I would go straight from school to the club… I was juggling so many things at the same time. I would do my women studies homework in the locker room of the strip club.” Debra describes her experience as a perspective on hierarchies; depending on a worker’s position in the strata they would encounter fewer struggles.
Paul, the coordinator of the Red Umbrella Fund, a Netherlands-based global fund led by and for sex workers, explained that with the onset of COVID-19, the organization had changed how funds were allocated. It also shares information to support sex workers in dealing with the pandemic.
Paul became a prostitute as a minor and used his funds to pay for his two master’s degrees relating to his interest in international policies and human rights. He recalled, “I did not identify as a sex worker at the time, and then I listened to a radio show. It was about female students who were into sex work… and I realized that they were speaking about me. I was one of these students. I was not a woman, but a man and a prostitute.”
(Photo via Red Umbrella Fund)
There is a lack of support for sex workers in Europe as well as the US, Paul said. “In Spain, sex workers don’t have access to any government support because their work is not recognized as work, and they are treated as victims. The only way that they could get money in the period they could not work or that it was difficult to work without putting themselves at risk is by to signing a paper saying that they were trafficked and forced to do that job in order to enter and exit prostitution records.” As a result, he said, “you get fake numbers on human trafficking.”
According to the Global Network of Sex Work Project, the conflation of sex work and trafficking started in the 20th century and targeted migrant sex workers. Although sex work is a choice, legislature and early feminists felt the need to attack sex work due to their belief that sex work is undignified labor and it upholds the patriarchy. Due to such practices, the livelihood of sex workers is still put in danger.
Raids of brothels and the criminalization of sex work have forced many migrant sex workers to work in unsafe conditions for the fear of being deported or arrested. Often, police raids legitimize violence and abuse of sex workers because of preconceived notions which leads sex workers to be treated as either victims or criminals.
Alexis, a Lehman student, sees sex workers as people who are simply monetizing off an existing demand, whether they are performing sexual acts or providing fantasies. In her opinion, “I don't feel like they are being exploited because this is their choice to provide services in different aspects for profitable gain. I do, however, feel that society is still struggling with the idea that this is real work and have negative connotations still being put out there based on these women's choice of profession. The thought of sexually liberated entrepreneurial women scares men.”
City Communities Feel Unheard with Schools Reopening
(Photo via LM Otero/AP)
By Rebekah Gamble
New York City schools reopened on Sept. 21, 2020, after Mayor Bill de Blasio promised that its 1,606 public schools would offer “blended learning,” a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. Parents and guardians remain concerned that their children’s health as well as their education will suffer.
“I don't believe young children will be able to follow the rules and wear their masks all day long,” said Dania Miguel, a Lehman senior majoring in Music and obtaining her Multimedia Performing Arts BFA who is concerned about her sister starting school.
According to the medical journal Health Line, “The average adult touches their face 16 times an hour.” However, small children have even less awareness than adults about germs and the threats they pose. According to journalist Beata Mostafavi, it’s been proven that children older than age five may carry the same amount of the respiratory virus as an adult.
Although the DOE has tried to offer options regarding learning styles, parents and teachers still feel frustration. For parents, it is difficult to teach elementary school and handle their course work or jobs simultaneously. “I felt I had to choose between her education and mine,'' said Carina Xique-Tello, a Lehman senior working toward her sociology degree. “There were times when I had to multitask, and it was hard to balance our schedules.”
Xique-Tello’s younger sister will be learning remotely beginning Sept. 21. She especially found it challenging because she, like many others, has parents who are not fluent in English and the teaching methods change with time.
Remote learning was also found to be difficult for children who did not have exposure to technology before March. One Rockland County high school teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, has children of her own who didn’t adjust easily to being taught at home, despite her experience teaching younger grades. “My kids needed a lot of attention and their teachers were not available most of the time. They were never taught how to use the technology either, so they were often frustrated.”
Jessica Colon, a Lehman psychology major and junior stated, “This is horrible. My siblings did not understand how to use a computer, and there were times when we couldn’t reach the teacher.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo acknowledged concerns about safety for the students and teachers, CNN reported. "When we came to the reopening of the economy, I've said I'm not going to put someone in a dangerous situation. There is no money on the planet that can pay for a life as far as I'm concerned, so it's a balance, and the same is with schools."
The blended learning model which includes only 2 to 3 days of on-site teaching will be unique and face its own set of challenges. Some Lehmanities still see a brighter side to all of the disruptions.
“This is horrible. My siblings did not understand how to use a computer and there were times when we couldn’t reach the teacher.”
“My thoughts and expectations for the upcoming school year include positivity coming from myself and my children,” said Jessica Mills, a senior Africana studies major with two children, aged five and seven. She has managed to adjust while being Coordinator at the Herbert H Lehman Food Bank and serving as a Senator of the Student Government Association.
“I'm working on maintaining a now tight schedule and dedicating my time and energy to the needs of my children,” she explained. “I also expect my academics to be well maintained as it is very important to me. I wish for not only my family, but everyone to remain mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy as well this school year.”
Income Gap in Healthcare Exposes Gender Inequities
(Photo Credit: Sorbetto // Getty Images)
By Melissa Tejada
The healthcare field denies women proper compensation, according to multiple studies. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), and the Harvard Business Review (HRB) have all published data confirming this disparity.
A 2018 study done by Medscape found that “across the basic science disciplines, women earned 90 cents per dollar earned by men and 77 cents per dollar across clinical science disciplines.”
Sareh Parangi, a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and president of the Association of Women Surgeons, stated in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons that “unequal pay for women often begins with their first job and persists for the duration of their careers.” Another study in Annals of Internal Medicine determined that the average starting salary for men was almost $17,000 higher than that for newly graduated women.
Some Lehman alums who work in healthcare in New York find the pay inequity upsetting. John Carlos Rodriguez, Lehman alum in Nutrition and a current senior in community health education at Brooklyn College, stated that these inequities are “disgusting.” As a solution, Rodriguez suggested that there “be petitions made or some kind of movement to increase pay equity.”
New York University (NYU) nursing student Mariely Olivo said income inequity is something not widely discussed but fairly known. She disclosed that “one of my male friends, who graduated from the same school as me and has the same credentials, actually makes around $800 more biweekly. Although $800 doesn’t seem like much, it’s like saying you aren’t as qualified because of your gender.”
The largest factor in the income gap is the units used by hospitals and insurers to compensate physicians for the work that they do. These relative value units (RVU) are “a standard to determine the amount to pay doctors depending on the productivity,” according to a Medical Billing Services review. “It is a number that defines the volume of work doctors perform when treating patients for all procedures and services covered under the Physician Fee Schedule.”
Parangi stated that “the perception is that women generate fewer RVUs because they’re lazy. In reality, if you look at the specialties where there are a high percentage of women, such as obstetrics and gynecology, which is 54 percent women, and compare it to urology, which is about 8 percent women, you see dramatic disparities in RVUs for analogous procedures.”
RVUs, units that are used by Medicare to determine the fee payment for doctors depending on the procedure performed, are decided by a committee that has 30 voting members, only two of which are female. A paper published in 2017 in Gynecologic Oncology showed that for gynecologic and urologic procedures 84 percent of procedures were compensated at a higher rate for male-specific procedures.
This issue exists globally. An international survey conducted by Medscape showed “primary care physicians in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil, and Mexico reported similar gender pay gaps, with female doctors in those countries making 20-29 percent less than their male colleagues.”
The survey also demonstrated that “specialists reported even wider gaps in pay by gender, ranging from 19 percent in Spain and 47 percent in Germany.” As men climb the medical ranks, they are increasingly compensated for their work. However, women’s salaries do not rise to the same level, even if all factors are nearly identical.
Indeed, statistically female doctors outperform their male peers. A 2019 Medscape study demonstrates that of 1.5 million Medicare hospitalizations in the U.S., female physicians had significantly lower mortality and re-hospitalization rates than their male peers. Still, their pay is significantly lower.
“We often are not aware that there are others with the same qualifications as us that are getting paid more to do the same job.”
HBR’s solution is enhancing salary data. Regular pay audits and greater pay transparency would force institutions to prove why male physicians with the same experience and qualifications as their female colleagues deserve higher pay.
Former Lehman nursing major, Carmen Martinez, now an RN at New York-Presbyterian, agreed. While she said she was not aware of the gap between healthcare workers, she suggested that institutions “support pay transparency. When we aren’t able to discuss our salaries, we often are not aware that there are others with the same qualifications as us that are getting paid more to do the same job with the same demands.”
Social Distancing is Putting Mental Health at Risk
(Photo Credit: Leilani marie Labong, Sactown Mag.)
By Zarin Siddiqua
“The whole idea of normal is just so chaotic. I’m the type of person who enjoys going outside and having a productive schedule, but now every day is the same,” said Brian Mendoza, a Lehman junior majoring in English. “It makes me feel anxious and it’s hurting my education because I no longer have the motivation.”
Since New York Governor Andrew Cuomo temporarily banned all in-office personnel functions and non-essential gatherings on March 22, stress from the quarantine is taking a toll on people’s mental health. And while Cuomo praised the 6,000 professionals who “volunteer[ed] to provide mental health services for people who need it,” Lehman students have been challenged by the mandatory restrictions.
“As a mother, it is difficult to study at home. I am constantly distracted,” said Lexxis Irizarry, a senior biology major. “And some professors don’t understand the current situation. Instead, they overwhelm us with more homework, and it is affecting me trying to juggle everything”
“I am currently [having] extreme anxiety, and it is leading to severe vision. It has been a difficult and an extra strain on my mental health,” said Jasmine Galloway, a senior psychology major who also works at Lehman’s Wellness Center. “I know that for people who are dealing with mental health issues, this is a great place to seek help as they provide professional advice, and students should really take the opportunity.”
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly 7 million Americans are affected by a generalized anxiety disorder and about 6 million, by panic disorder.
Now, during the pandemic, “the country is on the verge of another health crisis, with daily doses of death, isolation, and fear generating widespread psychological trauma.” Washington Post reported on May 4, 2020 “A federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered a more than 1,000 percent increase in April compared with the same time last year. Last month, roughly 20,000 people texted that hotline, run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.”
The paper also explained that “The suicides of two New York healthcare workers highlight the risks, especially to those combating the pandemic.” One was Lorna Breen, a top New York emergency room doctor. The other was a Bronx emergency medical technician.
Studies published by the American Psychological Association show that the quarantine’s interruption of daily routines leads to feelings of sadness or low mood, while the loss of agency and personal freedom associated with isolation can often feel frustrating.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that fear caused by COVID-19 can lead to changes in sleep or eating patterns, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and worsening of chronic health problems.
Social distancing can be particularly difficult for people already struggling with mental health issues, according to health experts quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
NBC News reported that part of why mental health suffers during a pandemic is because distancing goes against humans’ social instincts of seeking comfort in larger groups.
“Human beings are meant to be social creatures,” NYU Langone Medical Unit professor Doctor Sue Varma told NBC. “When not socializing our body is perceiving a threat because we don’t have the social support to help with tension.”
“Due to the physical distance many of us are unable to use our regular coping skills like hanging out with friends, working out in a gym, playing sports, hugging, etc.,” said Megan Wilen a counselor at the Counseling Center.
“It is important to utilize other coping skills to deal with stress. The Counseling Center is still open and operational. Any registered Lehman student can access our services at any time by calling 718-960-8761 or emailing counseling.center@lehman.cuny.edu.”
(Photo Credit: NYC Well & Lehman College Counseling Center)
‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ is an Oasis of Fun
(Photo Credit: Nintendo)
By Veronica Longo
Directed by Katsuya Eguchi of Super Mario World, Star Fox 2, Wave Race 64, and Yoshi's Story, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” released on March 20, captivates players through an entertaining social experience with beautiful graphics. The game provides a wonderful, family-friendly outlet for players of all ages, along with online play features.
Since its initial release in 2001, Animal Crossing has always allowed players to create customizable content, from shirts to houses, as well as to recreate the world as they see fit. Using the Nintendo online features, dedicated players can create a variety of mini-games like hide and seek or maze racing, host events, and even swap meets to trade items on their island. While versions of the game have previously been released for the GameCube, Wii, DS, and 3DS, the franchise has seen unprecedented success on the Nintendo Switch console.
The premise is very simple: the main character goes to a deserted island with two other animal neighbors to build a new life. To improve the island, villagers must complete goals such as finding fruit or other materials on the island to build items by asking ever-helpful raccoon Tom Nook, “What should I do next?” The game clock and calendar are in real-time.
Once the latest goal of having in-game performer K.K. Slider appeared, new features become available to the players. The newest update allows players to build rivers, cliffs, fences and roads for a total transformation of the desert island into a talk show, carnival, and even obstacle course or maze. This leads the player to an open world where players decide what can happen next.
The unique ability to transform the villager has consistently drawn players to this franchise. One day they can be an island princess and the next day, a ninja. Players can also purchase outfits using in-game currency and re-decorate their houses or use in-game items to turn them into classrooms, concert halls, or cafés; the possibilities are endless.
The game is wildly popular among celebrities and public figures who are fans.
Bronx native and U.S. House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been seen within the game, visiting another player’s island and saying how enjoyable it is. Gary Whitta, a screenwriter, is using the game to interview real celebrities, like Felicia Day, and even invited Ocasio-Cortez to participate.
Now, during a time when social distancing is the norm, the ability to play with friends is one of the game’s greatest selling points. Participants have even used the game to recreate virtual dates, as well as to conduct memorial services, graduations, and weddings for loved ones.
Up to 8 players can play online or locally in an island. (Photo Credit: Nintendo)
Through Nintendo Online, players can visit their friend’s islands. Up to eight players can visit at once, making it a fantastic way for friends to gather across distances. Frequent updates, such as the Earth Day event released by developers on April 23rd, patch errors and add new features.
These updates are often due to community feedback and reports. The Reddit community for “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” has grown to over 1 million subscribers. This forum hosts wholesome activities such as the community meet-up, tips and tricks, and showing the ropes to newbies.
The game has outsold all other games released in North America during March, just in physical copies alone according to Venturebeat.com. Within Nintendo’s lineup, the game has also outdone debut sales of other popular titles, such as “Super Mario Bros.” and “Legend of Zelda,” coming in third place only behind the “Smash Bros.” series.
“Animal Crossing: New Horizons” is transforming the way people play video games and provides players with a way to reach out during the ongoing COVID-19 quarantine. Take a trip to Tom Nook’s getaway island and stay awhile; it is a great way to combat stress.
Pandemic Worsens New York City Economic Crisis
Homeless in NY. (Photo Credit: Pixabay )
By Thalia Mallol
The pandemic has pushed New Yorkers’ cost of living crisis from bad to worse. Before COVID-19 hit, the cost of living in the city was steadily increasing. Now widespread unemployment has deepened people’s financial distress.
“I had no money saved in my account before COVID-19. I haven’t been ready for any emergency expenses,” said Julia Fernandez, 36, a Lehman sophomore majoring in early childhood education. She works as a retail associate at Marshall’s and as a home attendant and said that she needs both jobs to continue paying her rent, one of the many bills she must pay.
Economy crisis (Photo Credit: Pixabay)
“The amount of money I have left in my bank account is less since I faced some emergencies during the year. I had to pay for a new transmission for my car and send money to my father for medicine and food. Most of the time I need to use the credit card [to] pay all my bills.”
According to StreetEasy, New Yorkers pay the most for transportation compared to residents of other states. The city is also one of the most expensive places for dining out. Path reported in 2019 that childcare in New York can be more expensive than college, annually totaling more than $15,000.
Business Insider reported that a New Yorker with a salary of $21.63 per hour would still need to work 72 hours per week to afford a comfortable lifestyle. Curbed New York stated that over 50 percent of the average New Yorker's salary is spent on household expenses.
For those making minimum wage, the pressure is more severe. Research by NYU students concluded that the city’s low-income families have been experiencing a big impact due to gentrification. After many years in a neighborhood, families need to flee because they can't afford the high rent and increasing market prices. Coalition for the Homeless demonstrated that in March 2020, there were 60,923 individuals living in shelters.
Gentrifications in harlem NYC. (Photo Credit: to Pixabay)
Some New Yorkers emphasized that their financial outlook has worsened during this pandemic.
Yacouba Idrissa, a Hostos Community College freshman, 24, was working on his training as a paraprofessional for the New York City Department of Education, the week before New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio ordered to close all school. This caused Idrissa to search for another job. He is working around 16 hours per day with a minimum salary of $15 per hour.
“I have been working long hours because many workers are requiring sick days because they are afraid to get contagious with the virus,” he explained. “The crisis is affecting my income since I mainly depended on the paraprofessional salary to support my mother and brother. The care company that I am working as a direct support professional for is only paying $25 per hour after 8 hours. It is not worth it because I am risking my life and my mother’s life if I bring the virus to our home. I do not really consider it helpful to us.”
Rivera Sorrentini, 65, a taxi driver from the Bronx, is one of many New Yorkers who said he is struggling to survive daily and had to stop working because of the spread of the virus. “This pandemic is causing an economic imbalance in my household,” he said. “My daughter had to go on unemployment and my wife is working fewer hours than before.”
“This pandemic is causing an economic imbalance in my household.”
The Center for New York City Affairs predicted that 1.2 million people are at risk to remain without a job by the end of April 2020. Poverty is increasing while this year’s federal budget is cut $3.5 billion less than last year.
The New York Times reported DeBlasio stated, the state budget for 2021 would be cut by $2 billion dollars, which would be affecting municipal services. This is in order to cover the coronavirus expenses.
“I feel that my life is monotonous working hard to pay for everything and not being able to enjoy my efforts, and it would be worse now with COVID-19,” Fernandez said.
Newly Approved Home COVID-19 Tests Not Reliable
(Photo Credit: Shutterstock)
By Sally Barrilla
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID-19 home tests on April 23 to ensure accurate and reliable sampling for people staying at home. But despite this legal authorization, several essential employees have mixed feelings about these home tests.
“These tests can easily lead to false negatives if not done correctly,” said Postpartum and Bronxcare Health System nurse, Ismarie Badillo. She believes the test will impact the number of people going to hospitals but does not think the test will provide much aid for anyone and says the home tests are a bad idea.
“Saliva test kits are fairly new and had emergency approval by the FDA,” she said. “However, most facilities are not using this form of testing because there is a lot of question about whether or not it is truly reliable.”
Other New York City nurses and lab technicians had mixed opinions about how successful the home tests will be in contrast to those done in hospitals.
“I am unsure of the validity of the test, but I believe it will influence hospital outcomes,” said Eliammy Tapia, an AmeriCare geriatrics home care and visiting nurse. “I think if people are properly taught how to perform the at-home test and patients follow through with all rules and regulations…it’ll decrease the exposure of the virus to both patients and medical staff [at hospitals], decrease chances of spreading, and in effect, decrease the number of hospital admissions.”
(Photo Credit- Sheppard Air Force Base)
Tapia continued, “Patients should be a high priority, and we should do the best we can to try and keep them safe at home and reduce exposure as they are more prone to end up hospitalized.”
NYC Health reported a total of 3143.63 positive cases in the Bronx, with an estimated contagion rate of 813.75 in hospitalizations and 247.39 in deaths per 100,000 people as of May 30, 2020.
According to the FDA, the COVID-19 home tests have now been officially authorized for use through one source, EverlyWell. However, kits and similar tests are available through prescriptions.
The test kit costs an estimated $109 and includes a Q-tip swab, saliva collection tube, and FedEx return label in a prepaid shipping envelope. The tests are limited to one per household and results will be available within 3-5 days, according to EverlyWell, the only home health testing company that now allows the COVID-19 home test to be shipped through its website.
FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn announced on the organization’s website that the authorization of home tests means that “there is now a convenient and reliable option for a patient sample collection from the comfort and safety of their home.”
However, some Lehman students also questioned the benefits of the home tests.
A Lehman student who tested positive for COVID-19 and asked to remain anonymous said, “The COVID-19 home tests may take longer than hospital tests. I don’t think the number of people going will lessen.”
Thomas McMahon-Owens, a senior majoring in accounting with a minor in professional communications said, “I believe that the COVID-19 home test kits will not reduce the influx of people going to hospitals. The main issue is the supply of test kits to individuals who may not be infected at the moment, but will possibly become so as lockdowns across states are lifted.”
Premed In the Time of COVID-19
Lehman College is home to over 500 registered premedical students. (Photo credit: Perla Tolentino)
By Natalie Nunez
With the recent coronavirus pandemic crisis, the preparation and application process for pre-medical students who hope to enroll in medical school has changed. Applicants have had to adjust to constrained circumstances, from taking online lectures and lab courses to preparing for a shortened admission exam.
Lehman is home to 500 active pre-med students, and those who plan to start medical school in 2021 will be applying this year. Dr. Scott Calvin, director of Lehman’s pre-health program, said, “I expect that in this environment some of the people who were planning to apply to medical schools this year will decide to wait a year.”
The application process usually begins in May and takes nearly one year, but this one will be unlike any past cycle. Application portals opened on May 4 and 5 as planned. However, allopathic schools will now begin reviewing applications on July 10, rather than June 26, as previously scheduled.
Medical schools traditionally prefer letter grades and for students to take prerequisite classes, particularly in-person lab courses, but these standards will change amid COVID-19 circumstances.
A recent Association of American Medical Colleges survey indicated that 78 percent of participating schools will accept pass/fail grades for prerequisite classes taken between January and August of this year, and 76 percent will accept online lab courses for the spring 2020 semester.
Students planning to volunteer or shadow doctors this spring and summer also face challenges, as most clinics and physicians have cut non-essential personnel including students, because of social distancing. This might present gaps in students’ applications.
As the COVID-19 outbreak had led to the closure of many medical labs and related facilities, some Lehman students who were planning to do research to gain further science-related experience will not be able to do so.
“I was supposed to work at the NIH this summer and increase my immunology experience. It could also have led to several publications, but the pandemic has caused them to cancel the research,” said Ezekiel Olumuyide, a 20-year-old junior biochemistry major.
The MCAT, which can take months to prepare for, has also been adjusted due to the pandemic. The exam was shortened from seven and a half hours to five hours and 45 minutes, by eliminating unscored portions of the exam that would have been used to create future exams to allow for more sittings per day and reduce the number of examinees in the room.
Sabrina, a recent Lehman graduate who will be taking the MCAT this year, shared her concerns with the recent admission test changes, “It can be a disadvantage for those who have practiced taking the longer exam. Now we will have to change our approach to the test.”
She added: “All of the changes have definitely caused added anxiety. My set plan has had to change to accommodate the climate.”
Test dates in April and May were canceled and more dates in June and September were added to compensate for the cancelations. Examinees will also be allowed to wear gloves and face masks, to help avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
Applicant interviews, which begin as early as September, will most likely be conducted virtually for the upcoming cycle, as medical college campuses are now closed indefinitely. In a March 19 statement, the AAMC encouraged medical schools and teaching hospitals to conduct online interviews for the time being.
Despite the feeling that the application process can be an even more stressful process with the adjustments, Lehman students are still motivated to enter the medical field.
Kristian Punu, a 21-year-old junior majoring in biomedical science said, “The pandemic and its repercussions have cultivated my aspiration to use medicine as a platform to advocate for the less fortunate. People living in underserved areas tend to be more affected by this negatively.”
Dr. Calvin encourages those students who planned to apply this cycle to continue moving forward in the process. “Doing so will work in your favor, but also shows consideration and sympathy to those who truly need to wait for a year.”
Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Pushes All the Right Emotional Buttons
(Photo Credit: Disney)
By Melissa Tejada
Released on March 6 and directed by Dan Scanlon of “Monsters University,” Pixar’s “Onward” brings a touching and refreshing new perspective in a world consumed by technology. With a foundation built on the game “Dungeons and Dragons,” it is a heartwarming adventure from beginning to end.
The film follows the story of two elves, Ian Lightfoot (Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Pratt), on a quest to find a gem that will bring back the other half of their deceased father for one day, starring Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer.
Ian is a shy, painfully self-conscious high schooler, and Barley is an enthusiastic fantasy-game fanatic, obsessed with “Dungeons and Dragons.” Ian and Barley live in New Mushroomtown, where their father, Wilden, died of an illness shortly before Ian’s birth. Meanwhile, their mother, Laurel (Louis-Dreyfus), is in a new relationship with a centaur named Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez), whom they both dislike.
(Photo Credit: Disney)
On Ian’s 16th birthday, Laurel gives him a gift Wilden left behind before his death. Ian and Barley unwrap a magical staff with a rare gem and a letter with a “visitation spell” which requires a rare gem to make it come to fruition. Ian, who inherited his father’s mage abilities, is only able to summon his lower half because, as the spell is put into action, the gem breaks. He is also in a novice position because magic has not been practiced anywhere for hundreds of years.
Barley uses his knowledge of his game in order to find a replacement and summon the other half of their father before sunset when then spell wears off.
One of the movie’s highlights is the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ character, a purple cyclops named Specter (voiced by Lena Waithe). This inclusion caused an uproar in multiple Middle East markets that eventually banned the film.
Motherhood is also a central theme of the movie, and Laurel exemplifies the struggles and sacrifices inherent to being a mom. She protects her children at all costs, putting her life in danger to make sure they have their hearts’ desires and accomplish their goal of seeing their father. While most mothers do not fly around with a legendary warrior to save their sons from certain death, “Onward” makes it clear that moms are superheroes.
What is most impactful is the movie’s approach to death and how the absence of a parent can shape a child’s perspective. Neither of the brothers lack love, though to fill the hole after his father’s loss, Ian crossed boundaries that made him become a better version of himself.
Despite being a children’s movie, “Onward” creates a space for an open conversation about death. Since the movie aired just before the national response began to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t given its fair chance to shine. As theaters closed amid the COVID-19 crisis, the much-anticipated film ultimately failed at the box office. Disney+ was forced to bend its streaming after released policy and make it available weeks after release, as opposed to months.
But in today’s context, watching the characters cope with grief is particularly comforting and meaningful as viewers might be dealing with death amid the current pandemic. While it may lack the creativity that ancestral Pixar movies have possessed, “Onward” is absolutely worth watching because of its resonating message and uplifting scenes.
Online Club Events Provide Socializing While Social Distancing
(Photo Credit: Freepik)
By Kadija Doumbia
“We try to have Zoom calls every week with my members on a group basis,” said Lehman club president of the African & Caribbean Association Anna-Maria Jack, senior anthropology and Earth Science major. “I think these events help students with de-stressing and being connected with one another. Even though it is not an ideal situation, the events at least allow us to stay connected at these times.”
Club life is an important aspect of being a student at Lehman. Based on statistics from the Lehman website, an estimated 2,000 out of 14,787 students belong to a club. Lehman has over 50 student clubs available, based on a range of social, personal hobby, academic and religious interests. Club events were typically held in person for both club members and non-affiliated students to attend. But with Zoom now being the new normal, only a few clubs at Lehman have made the transition to hosting online events. As COVID-19 quarantine continues into its fourth month, online club activities give students the chance to reconnect with others.
The Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Club (CCSD) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) conduct weekly recurring events, with the CCSD hosting online evening Zumba classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the MSA hosting Tuesday evening trivia sessions.
The Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) have also been conducting weekly events in addition to providing students professional lessons and providing business opportunities.
“We’ve talked about resumes and interview tips,” said 21-year-old grad student Sarah Persaud who is pursuing a master’s degree in accounting. “During the past months we’ve advertised on our social media about main events such as our Live Mock Interview and Budgeting Workshop.”
“My favorite aspect about ALPFA’s virtual club events was that it was easier to access professionals in Fortune 500 companies who could easily attend our events from their living room,” Persaud continued. “Our members gave feedback that the weekly meetings have helped them at the beginning of Quarantine. Our members were happy to be able to see each other and engage in conversations.”
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, video conferencing is one of the richer forms of telecommunication since it provides a window onto speakers’ environments and facial expressions while reconnecting those separated by different locations or job times.
Nonetheless, most social clubs at Lehman have closed as a result of the spread of COVID-19 reaching New York City. Subsequently, the campus has been closed in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus.
“COVID-19 pretty much ended the nutrition club. We had many things planned for the nutrition club but because of the unexpected virus we had to cancel all of our events,” said 21-year-old senior club president of the Nutrition Club and dietetics, foods, and nutrition major Adrian Henriquez.
With the prospect of distance learning extending into the fall semester, according to CNN, existing clubs at Lehman may now have to make the transition to online hosting if they want to keep their activities going into the next semester and beyond. In the meantime, online socializing and video conferencing continues to be a means of keeping Lehman students together, while they remain apart.
Domestic Violence Spikes during Pandemic
(Photo credit: Pixabay)
By July Torres
“No victims should be trapped with their abusers. It’s inhumane,” said Danielle Sosa, a Lehman junior majoring in social work.
But as coronavirus policies force people to stay home, that is exactly what is happening. Domestic violence calls in New York rose 15 percent in March, and 30 percent in April, according to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo at his May 1 press conference. 2,019 felony assault complaints were made in the first quarter of 2020, compared to 1,894 in the first quarter of 2019. While the quarantine serves as a way to save lives from the deadly virus, for many, this means staying in an unsafe environment.
Lehman students stand in solidarity with survivors of domestic violence.
“I used to be in an abusive relationship, and it was difficult enough,” Sosa said. “I can only imagine what victims are going through [now] being stuck at home. They should definitely call for help or go to a safe website because whether they stay inside or go outside, they’re risking their lives.”
Kira Gill, a senior majoring in English, is currently worried about a cousin “whose relationship with her boyfriend is a bit toxic.”
The tension caused by the pandemic can generate volatile conditions. According to CNN, an abusive environment can develop as a result of stress caused by lockdown orders, among other factors.
For domestic violence victims, work or school served as a safe haven, but they’re now restricted to their homes without protection. NBC reported that experts feared domestic abuse cases would increase as residents of cities and states are ordered to stay home due to COVID-19.
“It is difficult being cooped up with an abuser,” said Shoshana Kaish, a counselor at Lehman’s Counseling Center. “Students used to go to campus just to get away and no one would question them because they’re in school, and now they can’t do that.” Kaish told the Meridian she has not noticed a clear increase in calls from Lehmanites, but acknowledged that stress during a pandemic can result in more domestic violence incidents.
“We can’t force people to leave, but we try to build their confidence and self-esteem. Lehman students should visit Safe Horizon,” said Kaish.
When asked how safe it would be to visit a website that may be tracked by an abuser, Kaish assured that “Safe Horizon has an escape button which will take you straight to Google.”
Governor Cuomo has also encouraged victims to reach out to the state’s domestic violence hotline online or by text. On May 7, CBS reported that New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced a task force to take on domestic and gender-based violence during the pandemic, and urged those in need of a safe place to stay to call the city’s free hotline.
‘Tiger King’ Highlights Hypocrisy in Private Zoo Industry
(Photo Credit: Netflix)
By Denise Phillip
Netflix’s new docuseries “Tiger King” has quickly grown into what can only be described as a cultish obsession. It garnered traction after a slew of celebrities including, Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen, weighed in with memes and future dream-casting films on social media.
Released March 20, the show chronicles the lives and scandalous activities of the most infamous big cat breeders in America, and in the process exposes the dark underbelly of the “big cat” world.
Seven jaw-dropping episodes follow the central star: Joe Maldonado-Passage, a roadside zookeeper and eccentric, over-the-top “big cat” enthusiast in Oklahoma. Also known as “Joe Exotic” or the “Tiger King,” Maldonado is a mullet-wearing polygamist with two husbands. He was a failed presidential candidate in 2016 and a libertarian candidate for governor only two years later and is often depicted as cuddling and wrestling with his tigers, while wearing a gun strapped to his hip.
(Photo Credit: Netflix)
Maldonado is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for charges, including eight counts of falsifying wildlife records, and nine counts of violations of the Endangered Species Act. However, the series barely dives into the world of cruelty and suffering the animals endure as part of the breeding and selling process. Instead, it focuses on the drama between Maldonado and his arch-nemesis in the industry, Carole Baskin.
Flower crown-wearing, bike riding animal rights activist, Baskin owns a Florida sanctuary known as Big Cat Rescue. Baskin has devoted her life to saving big cats and lobbies to outlaw breeding and personal ownership of exotic cats in the U.S. Her cat sanctuary business relies largely on unpaid volunteers, despite the funds raised.
Although she was supposed to act as the voice of reason, scandal follows Baskin as well, as Joe accuses her and it was insinuated in the series that she might have killed her second husband, Don Lewis. Lewis was a wealthy man who disappeared in 1997 after attempting to take out a restraining order against his wife. Because of the bizarre twists and turns in her story, it’s hard to know whether there’s any truth to these suspicions. Viewers are left guessing, forced to turn to social media to discuss their theories.
But Baskin and Joe Exotic aren’t the only over-the-top characters in the series. They’re matched by Bhagavan “Doc” Antler, another polygamist who, according to one former employee, coerces teenage girls into working 100-hour weeks at his ranch. If you’re thinking Woah, I agree.
Jeff Lowe also joins Maldonado’s world and brags about using his exotic pets to lure women to his bed. Both Antler and Lowe’s facilities pretend to operate with rescue conservation purposes, when in fact animals are ripped from their mothers immediately after birth and subjected to abuse.
(Photo Credit: Netflix)
Watching humans and tigers interact on-screen is one of the most appealing aspects of the show. The natural strength and power of the animals are exciting, as is the unveiling of the secrets behind how these cats are used for profit, which is in fact a blatant disregard for their well-being.
However, while “Tiger King” tells an incredibly compelling story, it also turns the events depicted into a large, terrible spectacle.
Sadly, Netflix dropped the ball by choosing to focus on the perpetuated drama rather than diving deeper into the abuse the animals suffered at the hands of the zookeepers. The series paints Maldonado and “Doc” Antler as colorful, funny, strange characters who are heavy on the shock factor, as opposed to the cruel and villainous men that they are. Maldonado has defended his reasoning for killing tigers, calling it an act of “mercy,” according to the New York Times.
Throughout the series, we see examples of Maldonado’s violent and cruel ways. He fantasizes about torturing Baskin and jokes about sending her snakes for her birthday. He is so often overheard saying, “I’m gonna kill that B*tch,” that the viewer automatically knows to whom he is referring. Operating in a world of misogyny, Baskin is able to hold her own by launching repeated lawsuits his way.
“Tiger King” makes it apparent that there are no heroes. It’s a messy story about drugs, guns, sexual abuse, suicide, embezzlement, and attempted murder. The blatant exploitation and abuse of the tigers and employees leave viewers feeling uncomfortable yet enlightened about the “big cat” industry. The docuseries is eye-opening, hard to turn away from, and will make viewers think twice about visiting private zoos.
In New HBO Documentary the Price of Fake News is Credible Journalism
(Photo Credit: HBO)
By Veronica Longo
Released by HBO on March 19, Andrew Rossi’s documentary, “After Truth” is a powerful cautionary tale that provides an intense look at the resurgence of fake news and conspiracy theories and how they blur the lines of journalism. It shows the very real effect media can have on people in communities and warns its viewers to maintain the ability to distinguish fact from fiction.
Rossi, who Lehmanites may be familiar with from his past work on “Bronx Gothic,” breaks down how rumors on websites such as Reddit can travel as far as a Washington lobbyist, Jack Burkman.
Burkman gives a chilling statement about the role of fake news in modern media stating, “fake news is a weapon, fake news is a good way to drive a story… It’s become a tool of war.”
Rossi uses examples of how some events become exaggerated into a conspiracy and breaks down the process of fake news contorting the truth, which include distorting data to make people believe the reality is more sinister.
The film also shows the profound effect that misinformation can have on a community and families; a first example of this phenomena in “After Truth” takes place in 2015, when a military exercise known as Jade Helm 15, creates mass hysteria in the small town of Bastrop, TX.
Conspiracy theorists on YouTube pushed many small towns’ mistrust of the current government to create chaos. Locals attended town meetings, voiced their concerns of a martial law enacted by the Obama administration and got locked up in concentration camps. Even after a reasonable explanation was given for the exercise, fright still ran its course in numerous small towns.
Fictitious or not, Governor Abbot still sent States Guardsmen to monitor the military exercise, a response that finally calmed many locals but created a dangerous precedent in which the actions of the Texan government lent credibility to a deception created by conspiracy theorists. Rossi said, “We are in a weaponized information environment.” Information, fake or real, is quickly becoming a weapon.
The film also takes an interesting look at some news organizations’ role in driving misinformation.
Fox News, for example, uses their well-known news anchors to present rumors and opinions to be perceived as facts and breaking news. Outlets that present these types of stories will often retract the story, but never apologize to the families they affected with the misinformation.
Rossi asks of journalistic integrity: “How can news corporations just abandon the facts but face no repercussions for doing so?”
At a focal point in the film, Rossi emphasizes alt-right conservatives aren’t the only ones guilty of using fake news to their advantage, as the special elections for Alabama Senator in 2017 shows. Democrat Doug Jones against Republican Roy Moore, shows how the democratic left can use the same tactics employed during the 2016 presidential elections to sway voters. Matt Osbourne, a political operative, used Facebook and other social media to “give the Republican Party a taste of their own medicine,” pushing a fake group to push others away from Roy Moore.
“After Truth” showcases the impact that news, fake or real, can have on people’s daily lives. Rossi could not have chosen a better time to warn society about blindly believing in anything that is shown, demonstrating the need to rely on credible sources, rather than accepting social media trends as news.
Rossi’s feature should be viewed by all, for it shows the importance of understanding how fake news tries to create an “us vs. them” mentality, just as the world is experiencing a modern pandemic. The film’s ability to surprise and inform are key reasons to watch it.
In ‘Lost Girls’ Desperation Takes on a New Role: Motherhood
(Photo Credit: IMDB)
By Sally Barrilla
Originally a 2016 book of the same name, the new Netflix film “Lost Girls” translates well onto a screen with a slightly sinister, thrilling and dramatic vibe. Released on March 13, the film is based on a true story of the disappearance and unsolved murder of Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old Jersey City resident and sex worker whose mother, Mari Gilbert, fought hard for justice.
Starring Amy Ryan and Miriam Shor and directed by Liz Garbus, the movie begins with a chilling scene where Shannan runs away in evident terror from an unseen pursuer in a dark car. The scene then cuts to Mari, a struggling construction worker and mother, as she goes about her day. Mari gave Shannan to a foster home at the age of seven, since she couldn’t bear watching her suffer from both bipolar and eating disorders any longer.
After going back and forth between foster homes and her mother’s house, Shannan settles finally in New Jersey while her mother and sisters, Sherre and Sarra, live in upstate New York. Mari and Shannan’s past struggles affected their mother-and-daughter relationship, but a conversation early in the film where Shannan promises to visit for dinner, gives Mari hope of a loving meeting.
When Mari receives a mysterious call asking for Shannan, she decides to ask around the local neighborhood for Shannan’s possible whereabouts. Mari becomes hysterical upon learning her daughter is missing and begins knocking on strangers’ doors. This scene is rife with anxiety; viewers can feel Mari’s desperation as she realizes her daughter is gone.
Shannan’s death does not seem to be fully addressed; Mari has to enforce most of the investigation herself, rather than the police, who insist she’s making a big deal out of nothing.
The police assume Shannan may have simply drowned, but her mother thinks otherwise, believing that one person was responsible. As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that it is Mari’s guilt for failing Shannan as a mother that fuels her to find her daughter.
(Photo Credit: The Wrap)
Refusing to back down and digging a little deeper, Mari discovers that Shannan made a 23-minute phone call on the morning of her disappearance, but the police took more than an hour to arrive at the scene. The police tell Mari that nearby residents claimed Shannan appeared to be on drugs, so they pressure her with questions about her relationship with her daughter.
Mari’s quest to find Shannan is fast-paced and adrenaline-filled, with new hurdles around every corner. However, the film lacks drama at some crucial moments, making it seem insincere due to some bad acting.
Mari’s drive to find her daughter is most convincing when she crosses paths with law enforcement and becomes heavily involved in the investigation.
Mari’s search extends across the course of a year and various obstacles; she was finally able to see her daughter again on Dec. 13, 2011, but not as she had hoped. Shannan’s remains and belongings were uncovered in a marsh only half a mile away from where she had originally disappeared in May 2010.
After numerous female bodies are found on the South Shore of Long Island and Oak Beach, a possible culprit emerges, officially known as the “Long Island Serial Killer.” The killer was disclosed to have murdered around a total of 10 to 16 victims. Yet, the murderer has never been charged nor identified, even in Shannan Gilbert’s case.
This film exemplifies that no mother is perfect, but once she discovers something has happened to her beloved offspring, all bets are off. Mari may be attempting to redeem herself from leaving Shannan in the past but just goes to show that a mother will do anything to protect her child.
The powerful message of this movie makes it worth seeing, but be warned that those who get sad or scared easily should approach with caution. “Lost Girls” is a haunted house ride - you may know what to expect, but there are still surprises around every corner.
“She won’t be forgotten,” said the real Mari Gilbert in a conference in Feb. 2016 shown in a brief clip at the end of the film, months before her unfortunate death. “And we are going to continue to fight as long as we need to until justice is served for our daughter.”
Kingsbridge Armory Set to Open as KNIC in 2022 Currently Serves as Food Supplier
The armory’s back door open on April 4, 2020. (Photo credit: Perla Tolentino)
By Perla Tolentino
Though temporarily on hold due to the Coronavirus crisis, construction of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) is set to start this year and open to the public in 2022. In the meantime, its immediate role in the community is to serve as a food distribution center.
Using the action network website and the hashtag #OpenPeoplesArmory, the North Bronx Collective petitioned for the armory to serve as a food garden, emergency and mental health hospital with universal healthcare that prioritizes homeless, disabled, elders, trans, incarcerated, and mentally ill people on March 31.
By April 4, NYC Economic Development Corporation and Emergency Management authorized the armory to provide food packaging and delivery for families who can’t afford groceries and meals and do not receive assistance from other providers. This is The Bronx reported that as of April 21, 2020, the armory food center had distributed 14,000 meals in the Bronx, with that amount set to increase.
Mayor Bill De Blasio visited the now free-groceries site on April 18, 2020 and told the New York Post, “We will not let any New Yorker go hungry. Period.” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. also visited the armory to monitor supplies and workers, and shared pictures of it on his official Facebook account.
Despite emergency repurposing, KNIC officials remain confident that this year’s construction will proceed according to plan.
“We do not expect to be delayed due to the lockdown; however, it is uncertain at this time,” Kevin Parker, founder and managing member of KNIC told the Meridian.
A week before Chinese authorities confirmed the first Coronavirus death on Jan. 11, 2020, the armory’s opening date was announced on the project’s official Facebook page, which also included a link to the new website featuring the logo used by Rangers star, Mark Messier in his foundation’s Inline-2-Ice (i2i).
Steel crow safety barriers seen across the armory’s near entrance on April 4, 2020. (Photo credit: Perla Tolentino)
The site allows people to reserve ice time, register adult hockey leagues, sign up for locker storage, and submit contact information for open and speed skating.
On Jan. 22, 2020, Brisbin Brook Beynon (BBB) Architects, design leaders of the Madison Square Garden renovations in 2008, shared a rendering video of KNIC’s final design. It briefly shows an athletic shoe store seen through glass doors at the corner of 2 West Kingsbridge Rd., currently home of the New Capitol Diner, at risk of being pushed out according to Norwood News in 2019.
Some landlords around the area have been using the $350 million development to attract potential businesses to buy their commercial lease.
L+M Development partners who own the commercial spot inside the Affordable Housing 2700 Jerome Ave. building across the armory, used a picture rendering of KNIC in their commercial flier and a map that displays the business space right across.
In the long run, many Lehmanites believe the project will attract more attention to the Bronx.
“This is a positive economic development for this area and the Bronx, in terms of bringing more jobs and related businesses,” said professor and chair of Economics and Business Department Dene Hurley. “This ice rink will probably attract families from surrounding areas like Westchester and Manhattan, since the only other ice rink is in Rye; it will become a landmark and related businesses could move into the area.”
“I think it’s going to make the Bronx an exciting place to be in; a lot of people are going to move from their state to the Bronx to watch American Hockey league games,” said Abban Emmanuel, a 17-year-old freshman majoring in biology.
However, some Lehman students think the project will not benefit low-income residents.
“It’s private interest only, I guess; it might create jobs for some people, but sustainability wise, it will be bad for those who pay through taxes and are not in a good financial position to sustain themselves,” said Marvin King, a senior mathematics major.
Lehman President Daniel Lemons offered a balanced view. “It’s great news that the Kingsbridge National Ice Center is finally slated to open,” he said. “The center will further boost the borough’s economy and bring a new outlet for physical activity to the area. I know some store owners in the area have concerns about rising rent in the face of this development. It will be crucial for community leaders to ensure that the businesses that have anchored the neighborhood for so many years be able to remain in place.”