Thousands Of New York Businesses Are In Debt With Little Hope Of Survival, Holly L. Deaton

Capstones

Lack of New York City commercial tenants' rights and protections, and government inaction, means small business owners are facing hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars of debt due to COVID-19 closures.

Link: http://project3482486.tilda.ws/

Fed Up, Desperate And Daring Enough To Unionize, Suzannah C. Cavanaugh

Capstones

This is a long-form story that outlines the hazards of restaurant work that predated the pandemic, among them wage theft, racism and sexual harassment. The story focuses on three restaurant workers pushed to unionize after Covid-19 worsened working conditions by cutting take-home pay and creating new safety hazards for employees. Legislation and employer resistance are stacked against them, but for many workers organization is the only solution.

Link to Capstone: http://fedup.tilda.ws/

In The Air, Episode 01: Too Low, Too Fast, Megan Burney

Capstones

In The Air is an investigative podcast series about the 1998 Cable Car Disaster in Cavalese, Italy.

On February 3, 1998 disaster struck the Alpe Cermis ski resort in Cavalese, Italy when four American pilots flew their jet through the resort during a low-altitude training mission. The wing of their jet severed a suspension cable that was holding a gondola car aloft. When the cable snapped, the car plummeted to the earth with 20 passengers inside. Only the pilots survived.

The disaster quickly devolved into an international fiasco and has been regarded by some as one of the most gruesome …

Up Close And Personal With Italian Cities During The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Country’S Multifaceted National Identity., Violetta Nespolo

Capstones

As Italy became the first western country hit by the Covid-19 virus in 2020, it struggled to implement policies to protect its citizens. The country went into lockdown changing the face of cities, the habits of its residents and deeply shaking the country’s core. Within this setting, Italians were all asked to stay home and respect a strict lockdown for nearly two months. The first months showed people from the North to the South, come together patriotically, a show of national pride and shared identity as they fought for their country, which was facing a foreign threat. This is quite …

Bk Eviction Freeze, Terrence Fraser

Capstones

BK Eviction Freeze is a multimedia campaign created in partnership with community organizers, local artists, and housing lawyers.

Mum’S The Word: Are Mothers Choosing To Give Up Their Careers Or Being Booted Out Of The Labor Force?, Harini Chakrapani

Capstones

Since the pandemic began, mothers have been leaving the labor force in droves. Mum’s the Word: Are mothers choosing to give up their careers or being booted out of the labor force examines the reasons that are forcing mothers to quit their jobs, the cost of mothers’ not participating in the labor force and what steps corporations and the government can take to support mothers’ return to the labor force. https://www.hcpani.com/post/mum-s-the-word-are-mothers-choosing-to-give-up-their-careers-or-being-booted-out-of-the-labor-force

The Pandemic Is Ending, But Its Boost To The Online Farmer’S Market Will Last, Min Ji Koo

Capstones

The pandemic has boosted organic and local food sales with attention to healthy lifestyles. Now, the pandemic is close to the end but its boost to the organic and local food movement will be long-lasting, especially in one retail channel: the online farmer’s market. Here is the full story: https://www.mj-koo.com/online-farmers-market

Pirate Radio Proves Invaluable To Immigrant Communities During The Pandemic — But The Fcc Isn’T Having It, May Olvera

Capstones

In January 2020, congress passed the PIRATE Act into law, expanding the legal consequences for operating pirate radio tenfold. Although the FCC claims that the reason they are cracking down on pirate stations — that is, stations broadcasting on regulated airwaves without an FCC license — is that they could interfere with emergency messaging, the pandemic has proven otherwise; there is no evidence of pirates interfering with official safety warnings. In fact, most pirate stations are run by immigrants speaking in their native tongue and they have been able to provide vulnerable and underserved communities with the information they need …

Fifty Years Ago, My Grandfather Won The Nyc Marathon And Changed New York History, Colin M. Kern

Capstones

In 1970, my grandfather won the first New York City Marathon. This piece of long-form narrative journalism tells the story of how that race grew into the largest race in the world, which fosters New York City's colossal running community. The article is accompanied by photos, an animation that breaks down the original New York City Marathon course, and gif's that compare running footwear from the '70s and today.

16 Cents Per Hour: Corcraft And New York State’S Prison Labor System, Gus Fisher, Diana Kennedy

Capstones

If you’re a student or faculty member at CUNY, the desk you write at, chair you sit in, and shelves you use are likely being made by New York State prisoners, who are paid a starting salary of 16 cents per hour by the state-owned corporation known as Corcraft.

Link to Full Article: https://gus-fisher.medium.com/16-cents-per-hour-corcraft-and-new-york-states-prison-labor-system-2b687792a03d

Where Are America’S “Missing Workers”?, Jill Shah

Capstones

A puzzle has emerged as the American economy marches towards recovery: Where are the 4 million workers still missing from the U.S. job market—and when will they return? The country had a near-record 10.4 million job openings through the end of September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This shortage may have worsened over the last month to 11 million unfilled jobs in early November, according to estimates by the job posting site Indeed. This piece discusses the reasons that American workers are opting to stay out of the job market.

Nyc’S Boom: More Jobs And Housing, No Affordability, Lacandis Brown

Capstones

Although the number of NYC jobs is steadily growing faster than housing units are being created. Housing units are still being made in abundance, but residents say these new jobs just don't provide an adequate wage necessary to live within them.

https://lacandisbrown.home.blog/2020/06/19/nycs-boom-more-jobs-and-housing-no-affordability/

Mindful Mind Project, Toussaint Campbell

Capstones

Mindfulness includes the methods one takes to care for themselves by acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations while conducting daily tasks. Mindfulness can manifest in unique actions and activities depending on an individual's needs. However, many lack education on mental health resources as well as access to the tolls that could be beneficial to them. This collection of opinion pieces takes a look at themes in a society where mindfulness can be incorporated and how practices can impact communities of color.

Link to capstone: https://mindfulmindproject.com/

Bomba And The Evolution Of Puerto Rican Activism In New York, Katherine Smith

Capstones

While Bomba, a traditional dance style that originated in Puerto Rico, has recently become more visible to a mainstream national audience, local activists in New York City have been working for years to promote the art and elevate the history of their community. For dance leaders like Milteri Tucker, Bomba dancing is not only a celebration of Puerto Rico’s African heritage, but an effective way to address social issues within the city’s local and Latino community. She is one of many activists in the city’s history that has used art and community try to uplift the culture and work on …

A Pandemic Revolution For Workout Devotees, Their Instructors, And The Gyms They Used To Frequent, Erika Wheless

Capstones

It used to be that going to the gym was the epitome of health - taking time out of your day to stretch, run, and crunch away stress. But the coronavirus has made this a selfish, even narcissistic, act. It has forced consumers to bring the gym into their living rooms. Now that many Americans have adapted to workouts without the gym, yoga studio, or spin class, it’s hard to imagine that we will return to our previous gym routines. The coronavirus won’t be the death of gyms, but it has permanently changed the industry.

Link: https://eawheless.medium.com/a-pandemic-revolution-for-workout-devotees-their-instructors-and-the-gyms-they-used-to-frequent-2ad4bdecd74f

Early Prison Releases And Hotel Placements Produce Unexpected Outcomes During The Pandemic, Buzz Von Ornsteiner

Capstones

The transition from prison to the harsh realities of New York City is seldom easy. Finding employment and housing is always a huge challenge but in 2020 COVID-19 has shadowed the incarcerated. As returning New Yorkers, their stories are unique. Ironically, the added obstacles they face have also brought them benefits in the form of the housing they need to survive during a deadly pandemic.

When Clemency Is A Lifeline, Shehzil Zahid

Capstones

In 1982, Yohannes Johnson was convicted for the murder of Errol Blackwood. He has spent the last 40 years behind bars and today, he is seeking clemency. This is a profile on potential clemency recipient Yohannes Johnson.

The Fourth Wall Of Jericho: Wrestling With Covid, Cheyenne R. Ubiera

Capstones

COVID has affected everyone in the world in some shape or form. The Fourth Wall of Jericho hones in on independent wrestlers whose lives have been altered due to the virus — a rookie whose been down on his luck in kick-starting his career and frequent worker whose using the extra time in quarantine to get better at the craft.

The Fourth Wall of Jericho breaks the fourth wall of pro wrestling in an effort take a look a wrestler’s lives outside of the ring

Possible Transmission Flow Of Sars-Cov-2 Based On Ace2 Features, Sk Sarif Hassan, Shinjini Ghosh, Diksha Attrish, Pabitra Pal Choudhury, Alaa A A Aljabali, Bruce D Uhal, Kenneth Lundstrom, Nima Rezaei, Vladimir N Uversky, Murat Seyran, Damiano Pizzol, Parise Adadi, Antonio Soares, Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz, Ramesh Kandimalla, Murtaza M Tambuwala, Gajendra Kumar Azad, Samendra P Sherchan, Wagner Baetas-Da-Cruz, Kazuo Takayama, Ángel Serrano-Aroca, Gaurav Chauhan, Giorgio Palu, Adam M Brufsky

All publications

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the cellular receptor for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is engendering the severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 binds to the three sub-domains viz. amino acids (aa) 22-42, aa 79-84, and aa 330-393 of ACE2 on human cells to initiate entry. It was reported earlier that the receptor utilization capacity of ACE2 proteins from different species, such as cats, chimpanzees, dogs, and cattle, are different. A comprehensive analysis of ACE2 receptors of nineteen species was carried out in this study, and the …

How A Culture Of Silence Is Threatening To Burn Down An Entire Community, Hafsa N. Quraishi

Capstones

An exploration of the culture of silence that lets sexual misconduct at the hands of leaders in Islamic institutions prevail.

Here is a link to the full capstone project: https://hafsanquraishi.github.io/capstone/

Trans Artists Group 2020, Zinhle Ngema

Capstones

This report acts as my final product towards my MA in Social Journalism. My community focus for the degree program was Black Transgender women in the US. In this report, I discuss the community, their needs, their strengths, obstacles, and the ways in which I attempted to serve them. The report will show the work I did, the feedback received, as well as the ways in which engagement journalism helped me achieve my goals and objectives during a global pandemic, with the help of qualitative and quantitative metrics.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HjIw4fEXr_l4JFl_tX1geemTPAtmVu-f?usp=sharing

Delays Deepen Abuse For Kids, Madeleine Kornfeld, Sarah Gabrielli

Capstones

This story is an investigation into delays in responding to reports of abuse and neglect among Colorado child welfare agencies. NYCity News Service found delays documented time and again in Colorado Department of Human Services data and documents. Failure to respond to reports of abuse and neglect in a timely manner can leave children in harmful situations.

Link to capstone project: https://www.nycitynewsservice.com/2021/02/colorado-child-abuse-case-delays-hurt-victims/

In New York’S Prison System, Who Is Eligible For A Second Chance?, Jackie Harris

Capstones

Robert "Bobby" Ehrenberg is 61 years old, and he is serving a 50 years to life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility for murdering Silvio Goldberg, a jewelry store owner, in 1992. After decades of "self-examination, education, and rehabilitative programs," Ehrenberg applied for clemency in 2020. In the audio portion, we hear who he was before incarceration and what factors led up to the murder he committed. The other multimedia display the clemency application components, incarceration population data and upcoming state legislation that could impact Ehrenberg’s sentence.

No More Funeral Marches: How An Orchestra Conductor Is Using Music To Heal His City, Carolyn Brown

Capstones

In the wake of the Breonna Taylor grand jury decision, the city of Louisville became, as Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams put it, "the epicenter of journalism." Abrams, the youngest conductor of a major orchestra in the United States, has hundreds of thousands of fans across the country. He's also an ardent political activist. By making the Orchestra's 2020 season virtual, diversifying their featured composers and works, and providing free one-on-one "comfort concerts" over Zoom, Abrams has been working to make the traditionally White space of classical music more inclusive, safe, and accessible. https://www.cebrownphoto.com/no-more-funeral-marches

On Paper, Off The Records, Valen Iricibar

Capstones

Argentina’s new non-binary ID cards (DNI in Spanish) were highly celebrated when they were announced in July 2021 via a presidential decree. Government agencies had until November 18th to update systems and databases to include the new gender marker “X.” But that didn’t happen, so those with the non-binary DNI are unable to access essential services. The Argentine government cited the national 2012 Gender Identity Law, which guarantees a DNI that fully reflects a citizen’s gender identity, as the basis for the measure. However, for many in the trans*, non-binary and gender non-conforming community, the decree was unnecessary to enforce …

Microstructural Constraints On The Nebular And Asteroidal Histories Of Calcium-Aluminum-Rich Inclusions From Cv3 Chondrites, Shaofan Che

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The petrology and mineralogy of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from CV3 carbonaceous chondrites have been investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The goal of this dissertation is twofold: (1) to gain new insights into the nebular processes, such as vapor-solid reactions, accretion, transport, that are responsible for the formation of non-igneous CAIs, and (2) to better understand the role of fluid in the secondary alteration of CAIs on the CV3 chondrite parent body. This work represents the first systematic microstructural study of CAIs from CV3 chondrites.

Chapter 2 presents the microstructural observations of primary mineralogies of fine-grained, spinel-rich inclusions (FGIs) from …

Creating Variety In The Classroom: Using New Ways To Keep Students Engaged In Reading, Amber Snyder

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Research shows that, there is has been a dramatic drop in how much students are reading as they move up in grade levels. The goal of this research is to find ways that teachers can provide variety for reading material in classrooms and strategies to promote student interest in reading. A survey of English teachers was conducted in order to understand teachers’ perspectives of strategies to engage students in reading. The survey also explored reasons why some teachers have been unable to use strategies that can provide variety in reading material to engage their students. This research provides tools and …

Accuracy Of References In Economics Literature: A Study Of Three International Journals, Mr. Raja Ram Bhat, Dr. P. S. Rajput

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The investigation explores the three international level journals of Economic Subject namely Global Economic Review, International Review of Applied of Economics and International Economic Journal. 150 references were selected for the investigation and verified, and 92 errors were detected in this paper. Total 65 (54%) References were incorrect. 55% (51) minor and 45% (41) major errors were identified. A systematic policy for reference accuracy was implemented in all the three economic journals by editorial board.

Mexican Americans' Perspectives On "Borderline Diabetes" In Amarillo, Texas, Priscella Pena-Correa

Nursing ETDs

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of and experiences living with “borderline diabetes” among Mexican American adults residing in or around Amarillo, Texas. Sixteen Mexican Americans who self-identified as having “borderline diabetes” participated. Research questions focused on how participants understood the condition, self-care practices, and recommendations for improving prediabetes healthcare and education. An interpretive description approach was used to analyze data from phone interviews. Principal findings revolved around issues of disclosure vs. secrecy, information seeking, and challenges or “struggle” to change lifestyle, particularly diet. Self-care was managed in a relational way with support of family, friends, …

Creating Journalism To Serve Those Working To Keep Their Homes During A Pandemic, Allison Dikanovic

Capstones

This report is the final product of my Social Journalism practicum for the Class of 2020 at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. My community focus for the degree program was homeowners working to protect their homes and preserve affordability in East New York, Brooklyn, as well as the broader community of tenants working to protect and stay in their homes in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report explores how community engagement can reframe housing coverage as a basic human need that is a part of a community, and not just a commodity. Within this report, …