Digital Commons Network^™

First Year Sober And A Lifelong Journey, Lisa Brown

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This is a non-fiction narrative story that shows the difficulty and process of the first year of sobriety from substance abuse, using in-depth journalism reporting. The piece follows two individuals from New York during the first weeks or months of their recovery as they maintain a sober lifestyle.

A New Charter Challenges Popular Paradigms, Levi Sharpe

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Many popular charter schools in New York City, which are highly rated, are known for being heavy on test prep and rigid in structure. Success Academy, the largest charter network in New York City, is the paragon of this type of model. But these models, known as "no-excuse" charters can burn out teachers. Critics also say they squelch students' creativity and their desire to be in class. A New York Times article from April 2015 described Success’ “polarizing tactics," which lead to high teacher turnover. Six months later, The Times also reported on a Success Academy charter in Fort Greene …

Neurologists Look At Causes Of Baffling Brain Condition, Maggie Freleng

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It can be hard getting help for someone with mental illness, but almost impossible when that person doesn't think they are sick. At at least half of people with schizophrenia, for example, insist that the voices they hear are real. People who do not know they are ill often refuse therapy and medication -- and their symptoms can spiral out of control. Doctors call this lack of awareness anosognosia. Neurologists are trying to discover what causes this baffling condition--and how to treat it.

Daily Fantasy Sites Engage In A Legal War For Survival, Danni R. Santana

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Over the past two years, the world has changed its perception of daily fantasy sports. FanDuel and DraftKings have taken the world by storm, making huge profits off even the casual fans desire to win money everyday, instead of just once at the end of a season. Lawmakers have noticed and are eager to regulate the business or ban it altogether, as seen in New York. What was once a weekend hobby is now a multi-billion dollar business. A business lawmakers say is just another form of gambling and doesn't require skill.

The Reanimation Of The Zombie Genre, William Engel

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The following piece is an examination of the evolution of the zombie in popular media. It begins with a brief recap of the zombie’s history, beginning with its roots in 19th century Haitian folklore, followed by its usage in the format of film. The most notable and enduring entries in the zombie film genre served as scathing critiques of contemporary human issues, encapsulating all of the fears and insecurities of its audience. In recent years, however, due to the way the international film market has changed, the zombie film has lost its emotional power and edge. Contemporary zombie filmmakers are …

In The Race To Reach New Wine Drinkers Old World Taste Is Losing Out, Lillian Knoepp

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But this old world is losing its grip on the wine industry. French wine production and consumption are falling while the New World of wine is gaining ground in both areas. Experts say that new wine making techniques and higher consumption in New World markets like the United States have changed the French wine industry.

For the French, more than just their wine industry is at stake. For many, the loss of French wine is a loss of French identity.

“They can't choose between the two. Because French people - we are wine and cheese - we are everything,” said …

Inmates Guide Inmates Through Peaceful Deaths, And Find Peace With Themselves, Maura Ewing

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Inmates guide inmates through peaceful deaths, and find peace with themselves. Prison hospice programs offer rehabilitation through caretaking.

Wasted New York, Aliza D. Chasan

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Trash may not be treasure, but it can be groceries. The United States Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency announced plans this year to halve food waste by 2030, but dumpster divers - also known as freegans - have been eating away at food waste for decades. Cutting down on organic waste can help feed the hungry, save money and minimize the environmental impact of rotting food in landfills. Many individuals, private groups and the New York City government are all working to cut down on organic waste.

She's Having A Baby And Cancer, Ashley Lewis

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In October 2011, Megan Harris, a 38-year-old high school teacher from Atlanta, Georgia, found out she was pregnant with a new addition to her happy family of three. But she didn’t know until three months later that she’d be planning a funeral rather than a nursery.

Oil: A Cautionary Story, Kat Long

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William Scoresby threw his harpoon into the whale and the arrow-­‐shaped tip landed deep within its lung. The bowhead jerked and dove out of sight. Seven men in the boat watched the harpoon’s rope uncoil, and when it slackened, they knew the whale was coming up for air. They got their knives ready

Unsettling: The Flawed Us Refugee System, Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn

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The US has had a long commitment to resettling refugees, and currently funds one of the largest third-country resettlement programs through UNHCR in the world. However, an examination of US's refugee resettlement program shows that the program often does not live up to its promises, and has long ignored systemic issues. This report takes a specific look at the experience of newly-resettled Syrian refugees, and includes memos by the author that was submitted for a larger group project.

Beyond The Ring: Vegan Fighter, Bianca Silva

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Omowale Adewale, an amateur MMA fighter and boxer, spends his time outside the ring as director of Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME), an organization in the Bronx dedicated to provide resources to low-income residents like healthcare, access to healthy foods via means of gardening and youth incarceration prevention programs. He has been the director of G.A.ME since 2001 and routinely visits classrooms where he provides lectures on how to eat healthy foods-even incorporating vegan foods and implement after school physical programs like boxing where he occasionally serves as a trainer.

Unsettling: The Real Influx Of Syrian Refugees, Isabel M. Riofrio, Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn, Marguerite Ward

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While heated arguments have been sparked by President Obama’s plan to accept more Syrians, one key aspect remains little examined in the public debate: the government’s long-running program for helping refugees establish new lives in America.

The federal government oversees a complex program to help refugees come to this country. But is is an effort that does not live up to all its promises, leaving the path more difficult for refugees to adapt to their new homeland. A NYCity News Service investigation examining hundreds of audits, financial filings and internal government reports found government-funded refugee charities contracted to help the …

Restaurant Owners Owing Millions Of Dollars To Workers Close Down, Only To Open Again Under Related Owners, Rajashree Chakravarty

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Many restaurants in New York city have cases registered against them for failing to adhere to the labor laws of the state. In most of the cases, workers demand the wage that they have lost over the course of their work but face a hard time retrieving the money from the employers. In many cases, the owners declare bankruptcy and close down the restaurant for the time being but open again under a different name or under the ownership of a related family member. Though the court cases are ruled in the workers’ favor, they do not get the money …

Special Muscles, Annamaria C. Scaccia

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Special Muscles is a documentary that explores living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal degenerative disease that weakens the muscles at an aggressive rate. The film will give an uncensored look at how one family copes with inevitability of the disease and their journey chasing a promising experimental cure.

Special Muscles follows 7-year-old Pietro Scarso and his family as they face the challenges, complications and promise of treating Pietro’s progressive muscle disorder. The film travels from New York to Los Angeles to Philadelphia to document the Scarso family’s race against time as Pietro undergoes a 96-week clinical trial for Eteplirsen, …

Unsettling: Syrian Refugees And The Struggle To Resettle, Marguerite Ward

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The federal government oversees a complex program to help Syrian refugees come to the U.S.. But the effort does not always live up to all its promises, potentially making the path more difficult for refugees striving to adapt to their new homeland.

Silk Wings: The Making Of Noma, Sandra C. Lopez-Monsalve

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Silk Wings: The Making of Noma is a documentary that follows a group of aerialists, dancers and acrobats as they create an original new show. Conceived and directed by aerialist and choreographer Sara Zepezauer, Noma is a show that explores sight, sound, and movement.

Through beautifully shot performances and intimate interviews, the film follows Sara and her troupe through the path of creation and personal motivations. In this vibrant journey, Sara finds inspiration to cope with her father’s diagnosed carcinoma.

Silk Wings is a story about creativity, perseverance, hope and friendship.

Reshaping The Event Horizon‑ Marketing Utopia At Music Festivals, Justin D. Joffe

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Imagine a world where every leisure activity is tracked, recorded, and then analyzed as market research according to your age and gender demographic. Imagine the next phase after smartphone payments, when a chip linking your finances isn’t in your phone, but on your wrist. Imagine a vast field of fellow fun-­‐seekers, eating, drinking and dancing in hedonistic, chemically enhanced utopia. Such a scene certainly requires some open-­‐ mindedness and improvisation, sure, a willingness to submit oneself to a vulnerable environment of whimsy. Now imagine being subtly exposed to advertisements in such a mindset. It’s no Orwellian controlled dystopia, really. You’ve …

Police Misconduct Towards The Transgender Community, Carlotta Mohamed

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Kristen Lovell, a black transgender woman and activist, takes precautions everyday as she rides the subway from the Bronx to Manhattan for work. “I know there are people who are intolerant of trans people or have some chip on their shoulder because I exist, and I’m a firm believer in self-defense,” said Lovell, 35, program coordinator at the Metropolitan Community Church of New York. “It could be because I’m black, it could be because I’m trans...they just feel like slicing my face today. I don’t know."

Female Fighters Fight Toward Equal Footing, Desiree A. Mathurin, Ryan Wallerson

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A staple in the boxing world met a primary member of the judo world in an octagon ring housed in the MGM Grand on November 15, 2015. Dubbed by some as the biggest upset of the year,Holly Holm faced off against Ronda Rousey for the Women’s UFC Bantamweight championship and delivered the sweet science to Rousey

Masked Superheroes: Lucha Libre In New York, Lucina Melesio Friedman

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Roberto Martínez, 31, crossed the border to the US walking through the desert, like the thousands of Mexican migrants who do this dangerous journey every year. He now lives in New Jersey and is a single father, earning his living as waiter at an Italian restaurant and as zumba instructor. But the first Thursday of every month he puts on a mask, straps on a pair of flashy boots and ties his cape to fight good as opposed to fighting evil in the Bronx

The Fight For Zadroga, Naeisha Rose

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The attack on the World Trade Center cost many first responders and volunteers, like Ken George, a retired highway crewmember who was part of the search and rescue, to lose their health. Ken had needs a respirator for his restricted airway disease, he is o n 33 medications and five years ago he had a heart attack. Bi- =weekly or monthly, he visits a doctor for his PTSD, his heart, his lungs and general healthcare. After seeing the devastating conditions that the responders like Ken worked in, Congresswoman C arolyn Maloney (D-12) worked tirelessly with many politicians, both Democrats and …

You're Only As Good As You Do In School: Asian American Students And The Mental Risks They Face In Higher Education, Asia C. Ewart

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Anne Cai always joked that, “one of these days,” school was going to drive her to insanity. A snapshot of her life begged to differ. As the oldest of three daughters in her traditional Chinese­ American family, Anne, 23, was the image of success and achievement, not only for her parents and their peers, but for her sisters Jenny, 19, and Vicky, 13. She excelled in elementary, middle and at all three of her high schools—the high school moves were decided by her parents and she never questioned them, lest she burden the family with what she considered complaining.

Ath #142, Joseph Swide

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Jahsen Wint is a 5’11”, 189­pound student in the class of 2016 at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York. He runs a 40­yard dash in 4.6 seconds, has a measured vertical leap of 34.3 inches, and can do a 5­10­5 shuttle run in 4.3 seconds. This is the essential information about Wint found on the various college football scouting websites that comprise an industry designed to measure, study, and sell the potential effectiveness of thousands of teenagers within the greater football industry comprised of hundreds of college programs and their millions of fans. Kids as young as 14 …

White Faces In A Black Movement: Why Their Voices Matter, Chauncey L. Alcorn

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This story follows the lives of two white activists in New York's Black Lives Matter movement. It examines the largely ignored impact white activists have had on the BLM movement and also explores the history of white activists in the abolitionist and Civil Rights movements. The climax details a highly-publicized spat between rival Black Lives Matter organizations that happened during a Dec. 4 protest to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Officer Daniel Pantaleo's non-indictment in Garner's death. My main character, a white male, was blamed for causing the rift and was asked to step down from his leadership position in …

Transgender And Black, Looking For An Audience, Brian C. Josephs

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Commodore Barry Park is an unappealing mid- sized space on most days. It sits next to Farragut Projects, tucked a few blocks away from Fort Greene Park andits neighboring brownstones. But today is Aug. 22, Day 1 of the Afropunk Music Festival. It’s 5 p.m — the hundreds of attendees gathered under the hot sun press against the barricade separating them from the empty main stage. No one wants to miss a moment of Ms. Lauryn Hill, who’s scheduled as the next performer. But Ms. Lauryn Hill isn’t the performer who gets on stage next. Transgender activist Cherno Biko leads …

Flaws In The Justice System: Examining The Angel Cordero Case, Rose C. Itzcovitz

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This article examines a case in criminal law that started 17 years ago and has yet to be resolved. Despite a plethora of mounting evidence, including a confession, more than a dozen witnesses, a proven false alibi, impeaching evidence against police and DNA evidence, Bronx-born Angel Cordero's conviction has yet to be overturned. The article breaks down what went wrong in the initial trial, discusses Cordero's multiple appeals and takes a broader look at what needs to change in today's judicial system.

Outrage Is The New Black, Derek R. Scancarelli

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In 1964, legendary comedian Lenny Bruce was brought to court on an obscenity charge after years and repeated arrests for using what was then deemed to be sexually vulgar language. Despite the testimony of fellow artists and intellectuals (Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, James Baldwin), Bruce was convicted. The symbolism of what Bruce stood for is way more important than the four months he consequently spent in a workhouse. It proved that comedy has the power to shake the system- make people challenge authority and question the value of parallel thinking. Now – in 2015 – America is obsessed with outrage. …

The Battle Against Childhood Obesity, Allison Fox

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When 16-year-old Eric Foy came home from high school one weeknight in the fall of 2005, his life changed forever. His mother, Claudia, was resting on the tan couch in the living room, but she was slumped over to the left, towards the end table that held a dozen framed photos of his extended family. “Get me juice,” Claudia whispered to her son. Immediately, Eric knew what was happening –his mother’s blood sugar level was crashing. As he ran to the kitchen to pour a glass of orange juice, he started to panic.

The Smell Of Hopelessness, Juline Cariba Rachel Party

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Rafts of sargassum seaweed kilometers wide have been invading the Caribbean for more than five years, but 2015 was the worst. Tons of seaweed stretch from Texas south to Trinidad and Tobago, with the Lesser Antilles suffering the most damage. Residents near beaches are exposed to an insidious and pernicious danger, scientists say, from fumes that smell like rotten eggs, emitted by the decaying algae. The odor also drives tourists away from beaches and restaurants, and the tourism economy is collapsing.Amid the algae crisis, an elderly woman, Virginie Mark, is trying to survive. She struggles with her health, finances and …