Recently I went to a professional event in which my sister was a part of. She was delivering a speech at City Hall voting for term limits. She was apart of the Edward T. Rogowski model New York City council internship, along with fifty plus high school students. While an intermission my sister introduced me to some of the staff and her new found friends. During lunch, I conversated with a staff member and three teenagers. I made jokes and talked freely during this exchange. At one point the staff member asked me “You don’t have a filter, do you?” I was a little embarrassed but I looked back at him and said, “No, I actually don’t.” I mean, I know when the right time and place is to let my guard down. I have a very outgoing personality and sometimes I can be brutally honest.
As I go back in time in my head, I can recall a time when my filter had microscopic holes that allowed nothing to go through. Even though I think everyone has awkward years, I think the source of that awkward is fear. My awkward phase is due to my fear of acceptance. I missed out on getting to know some of my peers because of fear. I was afraid to be too honest and that people weren’t going to like me. It really wasn’t until this past summer that I broke out of my shell and allowed others to decide right away for if they liked me or not. Surprisingly, I attracted a lot more people like that than being quiet and shy.
Some people may say that my personality is too aggressive but I find that once I step out of my shell other people feel comfortable. Don’t get me wrong I still get insecure sometimes but for the most part I am happy with myself. I know that I will always wonder, “What did he think of me?” Or “did I come off too strong?” but I hope I can help others become comfortable for being who they are.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Lives the Life of Service, Speaks the Truth
“I’ve done a lot of web work; I mean a lot of web work. Creating web sites for prestigious companies and I do graffiti art too.” He had such an excited and genuine look in his eyes that made me feel comfortable and excited for him. About four youth participants in a tiny room only about the size of a walk-in closet, we interviewed Wilbert “Will” Weeks for a position teaching graphic arts in our afterschool program. We were impressed and immediately knew he was perfect for the position.
Since that time I watched him become a staple in our quite large community of Harlem Children’s Zone Employment and Technology Center. Will is a twenty seven year old former graffiti artist who would, by his admission, “tag up New York City.” He loved finding new and different places to tag up. “Sometimes,” he says, “I would even be surprised at the places I would tag up.” Graffiti art was an outlet for him since he says that being the middle child and the example for his younger brother since his older brother went to the military, left him feeling starved for attention. “I was a knucklehead for a long time. I wanted to be a gangster. I made bad decisions that hurt my family. I ultimately made a bad decision that caused me to move away and drop out of high school.” Will went to Job Corps where teens have an opportunity to earn their high school equivalency and work at the same time.
After completing the Job Corps program, Will met a mentor who he says helped him “fall in love with servicing his community.” He saw teenagers who were going through the same things that he did and used to tell them, “your life is a mirror of mine,” which made him want to help even more. After discovering his love of the arts and community service, he fell back in love with school and began college.
“I just wanted to be somebody. I had to be somebody of substance. I always thought, what will my tombstone read... Lived the life of a gangster die the gangster? No, I wanted it to read… Lived the life of service, spoke the truth.”
Will left a full sociology scholarship in Mary Mount of Manhattan College to pursue what he was really passionate about which was arts. After realizing that the school was “over his head,” Will transferred to The School for the Visual Arts. He loved it there and took classes that he enjoyed, except for the required classes he says “were boring. I never understood why I had to take practical art. Eventually I saw the importance of it. But if nothing else, it made for a good conversation starter and impressing ladies.” He chuckles and puts his hand over his face briefly.
A this time Will waves over a student, “come here and sit down you should really listen to this.” After a little bit of fooling around and joking the student sits down and leans in listening to Wills interview. “I love kids man, you are the weirdest people but the most honest.” He says after he jokes with a group of girls sitting in the table next to ours.
Pursuing what he loves which consists of giving back to his community by working with teenagers who are just like him as a teenager and teaching a subject he loves, is his passion and dream. He says for anyone interested in a career in the arts, “its fun some days, hard most days. If you are interested in solving problems this is the path for you. Carry a sketch book where ever you go, anything is inspiration.”
He adds that if you are in the career for the money it will not happen for you. “if you don’t love your art, you’ll get raped by it,” he says. And he urges everyone to ask themselves what his mentor Alfonso Wyatt asked him repeatedly those years back, “Will you make it or will you not make it?” That choice is yours, will you?
Since that time I watched him become a staple in our quite large community of Harlem Children’s Zone Employment and Technology Center. Will is a twenty seven year old former graffiti artist who would, by his admission, “tag up New York City.” He loved finding new and different places to tag up. “Sometimes,” he says, “I would even be surprised at the places I would tag up.” Graffiti art was an outlet for him since he says that being the middle child and the example for his younger brother since his older brother went to the military, left him feeling starved for attention. “I was a knucklehead for a long time. I wanted to be a gangster. I made bad decisions that hurt my family. I ultimately made a bad decision that caused me to move away and drop out of high school.” Will went to Job Corps where teens have an opportunity to earn their high school equivalency and work at the same time.
After completing the Job Corps program, Will met a mentor who he says helped him “fall in love with servicing his community.” He saw teenagers who were going through the same things that he did and used to tell them, “your life is a mirror of mine,” which made him want to help even more. After discovering his love of the arts and community service, he fell back in love with school and began college.
“I just wanted to be somebody. I had to be somebody of substance. I always thought, what will my tombstone read... Lived the life of a gangster die the gangster? No, I wanted it to read… Lived the life of service, spoke the truth.”
Will left a full sociology scholarship in Mary Mount of Manhattan College to pursue what he was really passionate about which was arts. After realizing that the school was “over his head,” Will transferred to The School for the Visual Arts. He loved it there and took classes that he enjoyed, except for the required classes he says “were boring. I never understood why I had to take practical art. Eventually I saw the importance of it. But if nothing else, it made for a good conversation starter and impressing ladies.” He chuckles and puts his hand over his face briefly.
A this time Will waves over a student, “come here and sit down you should really listen to this.” After a little bit of fooling around and joking the student sits down and leans in listening to Wills interview. “I love kids man, you are the weirdest people but the most honest.” He says after he jokes with a group of girls sitting in the table next to ours.
Pursuing what he loves which consists of giving back to his community by working with teenagers who are just like him as a teenager and teaching a subject he loves, is his passion and dream. He says for anyone interested in a career in the arts, “its fun some days, hard most days. If you are interested in solving problems this is the path for you. Carry a sketch book where ever you go, anything is inspiration.”
He adds that if you are in the career for the money it will not happen for you. “if you don’t love your art, you’ll get raped by it,” he says. And he urges everyone to ask themselves what his mentor Alfonso Wyatt asked him repeatedly those years back, “Will you make it or will you not make it?” That choice is yours, will you?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Why Do I Want To Be a Journalist?...The people get inside the mind and inspiration of The Young Journalist
“I used to play by the clear blue water and hang out with my friends. It was a fun and care free life until I grew older and I watched my friends get drafted into the military and not finish school. I never agreed with Castro’s ways of governing the country. I started teaching people how to read and write who did not know how to I was passionate about my people and community. I used to give flyers away to people telling them to organize against him. Eventually, I was caught and put in jail for seventeen years but I never lost hope that someday all people would be able to read write and express their views freely.”
My uncle was a political protester in Cuba. He protested against the communist government, learned how to read and write, and taught others what he knew. At the end of his life in Cuba, he would have spent seventeen years in jail for standing up for what he believed in, exhibiting a commitment to his values that I will always admire.
Although I am American-born, I cannot help but get angry at the conditions in Cuba. In the year 2008, with all the progression the world has and is making, the progression in Cuba is at a minimum. In Cuba, Fidel Castro and the government do not want to be portrayed in an unfavorable way, and as a result l the media is biased.
It angers me that the Cuban people are not allowed to express their true feelings about their country. In order to make sure that never happens here, in the land of the free, I want to become a journalist. My goal in life is to ultimately become an investigative journalist, revealing flaws in our country like Michael Moore but informing the American people like Lisa Ling.
Being a journalist for my high school newspaper and the teen NYC-wide magazine New Youth Connections has given me more insight into the career. I am always amazed to find that after an interview I have conducted, or research I have done, how excited I feel. The process of research is not daunting to me. The inquiry and constant learning is what I enjoy and the interaction with people and being able to document stories are the ultimate reward. This line of work gives me an adrenaline high that I would not trade for the world. I am not only making myself proud and following my dreams, but I am speaking for all my fellow Cubans who cannot.
My uncle, who now lives close to us in New York, still recounts his stories, which I consider courageous and heroic. I just hope he knows that his experiences have inspired me to not only become a better citizen but also make a difference through journalism.
My uncle was a political protester in Cuba. He protested against the communist government, learned how to read and write, and taught others what he knew. At the end of his life in Cuba, he would have spent seventeen years in jail for standing up for what he believed in, exhibiting a commitment to his values that I will always admire.
Although I am American-born, I cannot help but get angry at the conditions in Cuba. In the year 2008, with all the progression the world has and is making, the progression in Cuba is at a minimum. In Cuba, Fidel Castro and the government do not want to be portrayed in an unfavorable way, and as a result l the media is biased.
It angers me that the Cuban people are not allowed to express their true feelings about their country. In order to make sure that never happens here, in the land of the free, I want to become a journalist. My goal in life is to ultimately become an investigative journalist, revealing flaws in our country like Michael Moore but informing the American people like Lisa Ling.
Being a journalist for my high school newspaper and the teen NYC-wide magazine New Youth Connections has given me more insight into the career. I am always amazed to find that after an interview I have conducted, or research I have done, how excited I feel. The process of research is not daunting to me. The inquiry and constant learning is what I enjoy and the interaction with people and being able to document stories are the ultimate reward. This line of work gives me an adrenaline high that I would not trade for the world. I am not only making myself proud and following my dreams, but I am speaking for all my fellow Cubans who cannot.
My uncle, who now lives close to us in New York, still recounts his stories, which I consider courageous and heroic. I just hope he knows that his experiences have inspired me to not only become a better citizen but also make a difference through journalism.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Hard As Nails- Empowering One Another
Hard as Nails- Empowering One Another
How many of us attend school everyday, possibly go to a job afterwards, or even attend an after school program? I know I do and many of my peers and friends do as well. Now, how many times in each of those events is someone ridiculed, ostracized, or mocked? I bet more times than we have fingers on one hand.
I recently saw a documentary by David Holbrook appropriately entitled Hard as Nails. This filmed showed the transformation of a young boy who hurt others and himself physically and emotionally, to a man helping others find god and find themselves.
Justin Fatica is a 27 year old, with a wife, baby and successful ministry called Hard as Nails. His organization travels around the country spreading the word of god and helping young adults build a relationship with God. Faticas unconventional style has awarded his banning of preaching in all catholic churches in Vermont, but he lives by the wise words of his elders: “you can either impact the world or make it worst”. As a delinquent adolescent who changed for the better, Fatica chose to “impact the world”. Now he impacts the world in the best way he knows how.
Faticas preaching style may intimidate some people but even watching on television I felt every single word as he hollered his message.
Justins wife, Mary, speaks at one of his conventions. Although the message she delivers is directed to young women, it applies to each and every one of us. She says “you can either empower or you can tempt”. In our society today women are portrayed as objects that are only useful to tempt, but as brothers and sisters we all need to empower one another in order to succeed.
In another segment of the documentary a young woman who is a staff member of Hard as Nails is pointed out of the crowd in Bishop Ludden High school by Justin Fatica. “Naturally” he says “what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you look at her?” he takes a breath and with that he begins yelling “she’s FAT!”. The young woman (Kathleen Sciame) cries as he continuously stabs her with the word “fat”. Finally, emotional he, Fatica then embraces her. “This is what we need to do” he explains in between sobs “we don’t need to look at her and make fun of her because she’s fat. We need to look at her- look at her heart!”
This part of the documentary really touched me. This demonstrated perfectly how our society reacts to people who are not <>. But I strongly agree with Justin Fatica. We must embrace people who are different and learn from each other. Empowering each other and we will be able to have more fun, friends, and happiness in life. We each are so special and when we isolate or ridicule one another it’s not only detrimental to our own destiny and fate, but it scars our fellow brother/sister. So I challenge every student, get to know your fellow classmates because we are all truly great people with life experiences different and alike to one another.
If you are interested in learning more about the Hard as Nails organization you can visit: HardKnocklifeforChrist.com
Don’t let the physical get between you meeting some really amazing people.
How many of us attend school everyday, possibly go to a job afterwards, or even attend an after school program? I know I do and many of my peers and friends do as well. Now, how many times in each of those events is someone ridiculed, ostracized, or mocked? I bet more times than we have fingers on one hand.
I recently saw a documentary by David Holbrook appropriately entitled Hard as Nails. This filmed showed the transformation of a young boy who hurt others and himself physically and emotionally, to a man helping others find god and find themselves.
Justin Fatica is a 27 year old, with a wife, baby and successful ministry called Hard as Nails. His organization travels around the country spreading the word of god and helping young adults build a relationship with God. Faticas unconventional style has awarded his banning of preaching in all catholic churches in Vermont, but he lives by the wise words of his elders: “you can either impact the world or make it worst”. As a delinquent adolescent who changed for the better, Fatica chose to “impact the world”. Now he impacts the world in the best way he knows how.
Faticas preaching style may intimidate some people but even watching on television I felt every single word as he hollered his message.
Justins wife, Mary, speaks at one of his conventions. Although the message she delivers is directed to young women, it applies to each and every one of us. She says “you can either empower or you can tempt”. In our society today women are portrayed as objects that are only useful to tempt, but as brothers and sisters we all need to empower one another in order to succeed.
In another segment of the documentary a young woman who is a staff member of Hard as Nails is pointed out of the crowd in Bishop Ludden High school by Justin Fatica. “Naturally” he says “what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you look at her?” he takes a breath and with that he begins yelling “she’s FAT!”. The young woman (Kathleen Sciame) cries as he continuously stabs her with the word “fat”. Finally, emotional he, Fatica then embraces her. “This is what we need to do” he explains in between sobs “we don’t need to look at her and make fun of her because she’s fat. We need to look at her- look at her heart!”
This part of the documentary really touched me. This demonstrated perfectly how our society reacts to people who are not <>. But I strongly agree with Justin Fatica. We must embrace people who are different and learn from each other. Empowering each other and we will be able to have more fun, friends, and happiness in life. We each are so special and when we isolate or ridicule one another it’s not only detrimental to our own destiny and fate, but it scars our fellow brother/sister. So I challenge every student, get to know your fellow classmates because we are all truly great people with life experiences different and alike to one another.
If you are interested in learning more about the Hard as Nails organization you can visit: HardKnocklifeforChrist.com
Don’t let the physical get between you meeting some really amazing people.
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