Most important thing? Ask Questions!

As the semester is wrapping up, with it, so is my internship experience. These past few months flew by so fast. At the discretion of my supervisor, there is a possibility of continuing my internship; but all the details still need to be worked out. Throughout these few months, I feel like I have learned a lot; and I mean a lot.

First of all, I learned to ask questions. Before starting the internship, I was very hesitant to ask questions. I was one of those people that can, or at least think they can, figure things out on their own. However, during my internship I had stumbled upon a number of problems, or just tasks, that I had a difficult time tackling. I would literally spend hours trying to figure them out on my own, which seemed to have me stuck in neutral, neither moving forward, nor backward. Looking back at it, I feel like there was some time wasted because of that - time which could have been used much more efficiently.

Although I liked my internship and all the experience that I have gained; I am not too sure if this is the career path I’d like to pursue. At this point in time, I feel like my interests are leaning more towards developing programs which would prevent poverty, rather than evaluating them. Don’t get me wrong, evaluating is fun, but I feel like there is much more to be done on the development side of the programs. I extremely value everything that I have learned during my adventure with HRA and I would definitely be thrilled to remain there for a bit longer and maybe take on more than one project.

I feel like I did everything I could to make the best impression. My first and foremost advice for every other intern is “ask questions!” There is a lot of things you still might need to learn, and as good as trying to figure them out on your own is, if you hit a brick wall ask someone to help you get on the other side of it. There will always be someone willing to help :).

Keep Doin' Whatcha Doin'

I've come to realize that public policy isn't where my future is. I got all caught up in the excitement of FoodWorks and suppressed my dream of being an urban farmer. That isn't to say I haven't had a good time, on the contrary I learned a lot and have really enjoyed working in Community Outreach. I feel appreciated and capable and better equipped for other jobs and interviews.

Something funny happened during my internship though. At one point I was put to the task of inviting some 3,000 fans of Christine Quinn to events through facebook (in addition to cold-calling, e-mailing, and faxing invites). The woman holding the position of "Web, Digital and Social Media Manager and Press Officer" signed me in to the Speaker's Facebook account and let me rip (or click) away at the invites. Now this is nothing new to kids these days, I personally grew up with a computer in the house, I started blogging when I was 14 and I'll admit I was a bit of a late bloomer getting on Facebook ( I logged in for the first time in 2005 but didn't really use it until 2008). Now I've got a twitter, a tumblr, a blip.fm "station", a flickr, and a foursquare. Since I started driving the ice cream truck, I've been pretty familiar with promotion using 140 characters. The point is I consider myself social-network-comfy.

So one day I arrived at my internship and checked in to "250 Broadway- NYC Council" on foursquare, as I had been doing 3 days a week. For some background, Foursquare is a social networking site that also works like a game, one can "check in" to a venue they are at, be it a library, restaurant, or even a cab, and earn points for each check-in. Checking in to a place for the first time gives you more points, as does creating a venue, and you can unlock "badges." The most fun is ousting the "mayor" of a venue once you check in more times in a month than the current mayor. Well thats exactly what I did, but the mayor I ousted was the Press Officer.

Of course I had selected in my settings to automatically tweet every time I oust a mayor. Whoops.

Within a few minutes I got an e-mail from the Press Officer asking for my in-house phone extension. Then my phone rang.

"I've seen your twitter and your tumblr... tell me about your experience with social networking," she said. I found myself in the middle of an interview (a lesson to always be prepared). By the end of the call I was offered an internship in communications and given some time to think.

A few weeks later she and I ended up at the same event together which was hosted by the speaker and we checked in to the event's "venue" together, which I created. That day I interviewed with the Director of Communications at the office of the City Council Speaker and was asked for my availability.

So it looks like I'll be staying with the Speaker for another semester! I'll miss Community Outreach, but web communications is just another way of reaching out to people, no?

“You like tomato and I like tomahto”

The season for Farming Concrete has rolled to an end and it has been a truly amazing season. True, we were a little short on staff and funding but at the same time, with little bureaucracy standing in our way, Farming Concrete was perhaps more productive in one trial year than many established organizations. Between December 2009, when the project got kicked off the ground, and the present, an incredible amount of work has been done. To provide a brief overview of the past year, we now have a small snapshot of how much food community gardens are capable of producing, and an interactive map is now in the making at harvest.farmingconcrete.com/. Farming Concrete has also been exposed in media and until yesterday, was part of an exhibit at the Parson’s New School for Design.

There were ups and downs to this internship. There were days when the sun was scorching hot outside and mosquitoes swarmed the air. There were gardens with giant beds and crops planted haphazardly, which made mapping frustrating and difficult. There were other days when I met gardeners who were overwhelmingly excited about the work of Farming Concrete and could go on for hours speaking about their garden. One gardener in the Lower East Side, who was very proud of his rainwater tank, provided me with a very detailed explanation of the importance of a rainwater tank in contributing to our water system. Yes, it was more information than I needed to know. Nonetheless, in speaking with gardeners and witnessing their strength and perseverance, I learned that not only are community gardens unique and special places, but even an individual could make a significant contribution to our urban fabric. Furthermore, I have seen how a citywide community based research project could be successful and now want to specialize in Community Development in Graduate School.

The Road to My Internship

In my case, finding an internship proved to be very hard. At some point, it seemed like I would have to drop the class because nothing was working out. I had applied for many things but I was not hearing back from anyone. It has made me question whether I was even qualified for the positions that I was applying for.
However, I had another way out. Thankfully, I was awarded with Federal Work-Study, as a part of which I could work for a government agency. Since nothing else had worked out, I resorted to that option. When I went to my Public Service Corps, a branch of FWS which deals with working for government agencies, my counselor provided me with a binder which contained all available jobs. I sat down and looked through it. Most of them were very clerical in nature, and that did not make me happy because I was looking for something more challenging; not just pushing papers.
After about fifteen minutes, I found something interesting. It was a researching job with the Human Resources Administration. I've always liked researching things, so I was excited to go and interview for that position. Another incentive that was attached to it was learning SPSS- statistical software that I wanted to learn. Therefore, this internship sounded like something I'd love. The interview for the internship went very well and the next day I was notified that I was accepted for the position.
The first days were extremely scary. Most of the time, I felt like I did not know enough for the position, but I was doing the best job I possibly could. From the first day on the job, I was told that I'd be working on a project of my own- the Databook which lists indicators of poverty for New York City and New York State, and compares them with the entire United States. It serves to inform the Human Resources Administration about the changes in poverty over the last 10 years, and how education and marital status affect it. The research I was to do would be available to HRA internally, and will hopefully influence future decision making and policy changes.
This is when I was to be trained by my supervisor to use SPSS. However, it took about a week for me to be given a work computer, along with my login information and email. Until that happened, I was sitting in the library, updating my knowledge or lack thereof, about welfare. Once I was given a computer to work on, and some basic SPSS training, I started the project.

But that's something for another post :)

The Foodworks Report!

Read and download the FoodWorks Official Report on Scribd.com!


Click here to download a copy of Speaker Quinn's FoodWorks Speech!

"It's Crunch Time"

These last few weeks have been pretty hectic at Cancer and Careers. To start, they are in the process of doing some renovations around the office as well as hiring new people.Therefore, my lovely little desk and room space has been moved over to the conference room. All interns are now required to work in the conference room until things are settled in. The downside of working in the conference room is that I am constantly having to step out when a meeting is taking place. Lately, it’s been happening more frequently since their biggest end of the year fundraising event is approaching. The annual Beauty of Giving Luncheon takes place at the Waldorf Astoria during this month of December.

I have been helping out with preparing the invitations, updating the board members guest list, sending out invitations via Facebook and other tasks for the Beauty of Giving event. This charity event is sponsored by Shiseido cosmetics and other beauty companies. The proceeds from the event and the live auction prizes will be benefiting Cancer and Careers. Therefore, spreading the word and doing as much outreach to the community about this event is crucial. Some of the other projects I have been working on is updating the Cancer and Careers website en Español being that I am fluent in Spanish. I have also been in charge of doing Outreach for 2011 to other other organizations throughout the country. Most of the time I’m doing research online, making phone calls and sending out the Cancer and Careers newsletter to other non-profit organizations and hospitals.

Since my work at Cancer and Careers is nearly coming to an end soon, I am now looking for another internship possibly for the Spring 2011. The other day I happened to be at a local bar with some friends watching the football game and somehow met a girl who works for the DOT. I put my networking skills to use and exchanged emails with her. She works for the DOT as a Public Space Planner for the Capital Project Planning and Initiation division. I had mentioned my interest in Urban Planning and she offered to meet me next week during lunch time to give me a tour around the DOT offices downtown and answer any questions. I’m looking forward to finding out more information about the programs and divisions at the DOT.

THE SEASON OF GIVING.

The past couple of weeks, Scan Laguardia was the busiest especially with the holidays approaching. In these tough economic times the staff of Scan including myself were working hard to make sure that every participants in the program including family members enjoy their holidays. As the yearly Thanksgiving dinner was coming every staff had a project they were working on including from cooking for about 300 families to making sure all orders were received. Part of my duty was ordering the ingredients needed for the dinner and making sure all payments were transferred to the companies. The Thanksgiving dinner took place on Monday November 22, and parents, siblings and family friends attended the event as it turned out to be one of the most successful dinners ever.

In the theme of giving, last week was my turn to operate the food pantry and distribute them for residents with proper papers. Residents in need of emergency food come to us with a referral paper and the agency that sent them with the number of people in their family. In return my duty was to make copies of their referrals along with a proper identification in order to be filed later for future references. Depending on the number of people in the family, an individual received a variety of balanced diet from the different food groups. Additionally residents received copies of recipes for a healthy diet and nutrition guide which I researched online prior to pantry day. At times the work load can seem overwhelming but watching the looks of the people is rewarding when you know that you are making a difference in these hard economic times near the holidays.

TriBeCa to Brooklyn

If you recall, I work for a small architecture firm in TriBeCa, NYC.

My first project I worked on consisted of creating a set of as-built drawings for a mixed use building in the flatiron district.

Approximately 3 weeks ago a new project came into the office and I received the luxury of being assigned to it. This project consists of another set of as-built drawings in which myself and one other architect go out to the job site and measure the building. This project is located in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. On our first day to the site neither myself nor Andre (the architect) had been to the site. We exited the G train & hoped we were walking in the right direction. The walk was beautiful; neither of us had been to this part of Brooklyn but we both enjoyed it. After what seemed like an hour walk we arrived. On this day we were to measure the entire first floor. We walked inside and introduced ourselves to the woman who was running the antique store, and then we began our process. Andre went around to each room and took photos, while I began hand-drawing floor plans for each space. The store was quite large and seemingly consisted of 5 apartments that had their doors removed and were now 5 different rooms within the store. Each space was fun, unique, and different from the rest. Each space had a rest- room, what seemed to have been a kitchen, and a lofted space that was now being used for storage purposes. The antique store used every inch of their space to display their merchandise.

After I completed the hand drawings it was time to begin measuring. We begin by getting the over all dimensions, followed by the dimensions of each column, then the dimensions of anything and everything else that is within the space. On this particular day the measuring portion took us about 1.5 hours to complete. Once complete we made our way back to the office, where I drew each of the spaces in Archi-CAD, the computer-drafting program we use. The computer drafting consumed the remainder of my day.

The following week we measured the basement and all of the corridors and staircases; and last week we measured 4 apartment spaces. I believe we will make 2 additional trips to the site, one to measure the last 3 apartment spaces and the final to measure the roof space. I am quite enjoying this project, and not looking forward to it coming to an end; however, when it does I’m sure I will have a new project equally as exciting.

http://www.runnerskitchen.com/2010/06/brooklyn-bridge-to-brighton-beach/

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/sections/fort_greene/31/1/

The Power of the People

Interning at Domestic Workers United has provided a wide array of experiences for me - I truly had no idea what was in store. Ranging from tedious (stuffing envelopes, comparing prices on needed items, answering the phone) to enlightening (policy briefing, member meetings, rallies) I enjoyed a solid opportunity to see what a member-operated grassroots organization looks like up close.

I have really valued the informal interactions with members/workers who - despite their busy schedules and exhausting workloads - took time to organize and fight for their rights for many years. And now they finally get to see the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights enacted next Monday (11/29/10). Hearing member stories and seeing their positive, upbeat take on life and seemingly insurmountable situations has really challenged me on a personal level and removed some of my skepticism about implementing new and changing existing labor laws.

Members and supporters of DWU really have a reason to walk with their heads held high- they are everyday people who used persistence to make concrete and lasting change. They proved, just as was said at a recent rally for justice for a member who was abused by her employer that “there ain't no power like the power of the people 'cause the power of the people don't stop.”

Yes, there is celebration in the air with the enacting of this legislation and the organization’s recently held 10th anniversary gala. But members are concerned about what exactly the new law will mean for them and how it will be enforced. There is an underlying preoccupation with the many provisions that were not included in the Bill, and the resulting work that lies ahead. Yet the determination that has brought DWU thus far shines through, and members are wasting no time to continue the struggle for the dignity of their work to be publically recognized and formally protected. I will miss the special months I have been able to share with this organization and hope to maintain the unique relationships I have established.

"Its right up my alley, which is less of an alley and more like a feild"

As I sit down to write this I hear the bells of an ice cream truck and the hum of it's generator as the truck passes under my 3rd story window in Brooklyn. I can't help but wonder if they're coming for me.

Up until about 2 months ago I drove and ice cream truck for well over a year (I served coffee all winter) and before that I worked in a holistic health center and before that in several restaurants. I had been a model, which is to say I didn't eat. I had been a vegan, which is also to say I didn't eat, and I had hoped to eventually work on an organic farm. I have clearly been heavily involved with food for quite some time. Many would say obnoxiously so.

So how does a 24 year old ice cream truck driver with a food-obsessed history end up interning with the New York City Council Speaker? As I have expressed once before, I came to understand the power of government through ice cream. Yes, I had been working for an amazing company that contributed to the sphere of "good" food in our great city (albeit a treat), but it was painfully obvious that a lack of "good" food was available to the masses long before I entered the biz. With a few Urban Studies classes under my belt it became clearer to me that public policy, even on a city-level, could shape the way people eat.

Mind-blowing, I know.

When I first interviewed at the Speaker's office I was terrified. For starters I couldn't remember submitting my resume, which was obviously sprinkled with hopes of finding myself working in a garden or farm all fall. My other concern was that the City Council might not be for me because I had an ice cream scoop's chance in hell in getting to work on something food policy-related, which was all I really wanted.

I guess hell is pretty cool this time of year, cause only a few weeks in to my internship I got assigned to work on the Speaker's FoodWorks Initiative. Most of the heavy lifting had been done, the reports for the launch nearly completed. I helped put some finishing touches on the big report to be released on November 22nd and soon began the invitation process, an intense task that lasted 2 weeks. A fantastic showcase of my networking abilities presented itself, it turned out I personally knew a lot of the right kinds of people to be inviting to such an event. I'm glad to have gotten in at the right time.

I'll post the official report once it is released on Monday, but I'll say its quite exciting. Until then- goodnight!

(Subject quote from a Blue Kid song.)

All Good Things...

As my time with the MTA comes to an end, I am becoming less and less comfortable with the prospect of leaving. None of the projects I've been working on is done, and I know that, given the TOD Group's significant lack of resources, my departure will spell the end for some of them.

The toolkit I've been compiling-- a research repository complete with best practices, opportunities for project financing,and case studies-- is one of those low-priority, give-it-to-the-intern undertakings that will die out unless an intern is there to take it on. Not to mention that a bunch of that research still needs to be entered into their internal system so it can be stored.

Some assignments, like a mapping project meant to identify the owners of plots of land in neighborhoods targeted as prime for development, were in progress before I arrived and are too important to be at risk of falling by the wayside.

Still I fear that, without an intern in the office, priorities will shift to make up for the loss of twenty percent of the people in the office (there are only five of us) and projects will be dropped.

That's why, in my last few weeks here, I'm making it my duty to replace myself. I couldn't leave in December knowing that the work I put into this position was for naught. I've been reaching out to friends all over the city, hoping to find someone to take my place. I hope that someone out there is as eager as I was to join one of the most innovative and forward-thinking branches of the MTA as they embark to increase access to transit, lower the city's ecological footprint, and spur development to make our city as sustainable and as economically competitive as it can be.

There's still a bunch of things that still need to be done and I'm dreading having to leave it all behind, but I remain grateful for the wonderful experience this internship has afforded me. I feel that I've taken a glimpse into a future in transportation policy and, as difficult as it might be, I have to take my time in order to get there.

Greening America, One Block at a Time

Being an urban intern has many benefits. Not only are there an array of internships to choose from (though there may be some stiff competition), but interns are able to work in an urban environment which is a benefit within itself. I am interning as a research assistant on a project named Sustainable Yards. I first heard about the opening through a posting from CISC, Cuny Institute for Sustainable Cities, and long-behold, I got the position!

The concept of Sustainable Yards is to conduct research in the backyards of private apartment buildings in order to gather data on the benefits of having a "green yard". I am an environmental fanatic! So for me to work with a group of people who are dedicated to the environment and are trying to use simple cost-effective methods in order for other New Yorkers to follow the green concept, is a privileged opportunity.

Now what is a "green yard" and how do we measure the yards? It is simple: the program coordinator, three other interns , and myself measured the amount of grass and/or cement in each yard. These measurements also included flowerbeds, trees, gardens. etc., and once we completed the measurements of each yard in the neighborhood we were studying, we were able to further research what these findings meant to us. Further research included, storm-water management and costs; measuring temperature differences depending on the amount of permeable surface (green area); identifying the specific types of trees and soil in the yard; as well as drainage flows or lack thereof. I will spare the in-depth scientific proponents of the internship but the goal is to gather all of our data and organize it into a paper explaining the benefits of having more green space in a private backyard. An ideal yard can simply have grass throughout which is easy to maintain and can absorb more rainwater than say, a large slab of cement in a yard which results in more stormwater run-off which may then result in back-up overflow in sewage lines as well as the city spending more money treating this water. Sounds like a simple solution right? Well, that it's not and the Sustainable yards Project is trying to prove why this method is better than any of the other methods suggested for an urban environment like New York City.

The program has further broadened by developing an "ecobloc" concept which definitely excites me because it has to deal with planning and designing exactly what it say: an eco-block. This ideal ecobloc will include the most cost effective products that can make a street more sustainable and I am leading this part of the project.

In the end, being an urban intern means using your surroundings in order to make the best out of your internship. Not every person can say they are able to use their environment to conduct their research during their internship but as long as you are doing what you enjoy the most, that is what is most important. And I can say i am doing just that...

Community Concerns in Lower Manhattan: NYU Expansion and Sex-Trafficking

Since beginning my internship with a Lower Manhattan District city councilmember(CM), I have had the opportunity to explore some of the most controversial issues affecting the communities in Manhattan’s District-1. Consisting of major neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Washington Square, Financial District, Little Italy, Tribeca, Noho, Soho, Governor’s Island, South Street Seaport, and much of the Lower East Side and the Financial District, the District 1—in many ways can be looked at as a magnified region demonstrating some of the most prevalent conflicts New York City is currently facing.
For instance, one of the greatest landuse and gentrification dilemmas presented in District-1 is the proposed ‘New York University Framework 2031,’ which entails NYU’s plan to expand six million square feet of property into Greenwich Village; making space for an NYU-affiliated hotel and additional residential housing. Expected to be finished by 2031 (NYU’s 200th year anniversary), NYU is hoping to occupy space on Laguardia and Bleeker near Silver Towers, with a 40 story tower (400 ft tall) building, rather than locate in the financial district, where building height would not make a significant difference to the historic preservation of that neighborhood (unlike Greenwich Village). This project is upsetting to much of the Greenwich Village community, as this would make for the tallest building in the entire neighborhood, on top of violating present zoning regulations which allow residential building only.
In response to NYU’s planned occupation of many spaces in her district (18th St/ 8th Avenue to Chinatown, most of Washington Square, as well as Governor’s Island), my CM has joined forces with community members, including Andrew Berman and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), a 30-group coalition to protest the 40-story tower. As an intern, I have been active in responding to emails and calls, writing letters to community members, and taking notes on meetings between my councilmember’s staff and key activists/knowledgeable actors in the struggle.
Another important and widespread issue facing District-1 residents, as well as many in the New York City region, is the growing problem of sex-trafficking, primarily of young women age 13-15, (though also some young men). I had the pleasure of listening to District Attorney Charles Hynes speak at a women’s caucus meeting a couple weeks ago, when he introduced a new campaign to address this problem. The sex-trade across the country targets mostly immigrant women (60 percent-born outside the U.S.; 40 percent in the U.S). Referring to a specific case in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a pimp abducted a girl in a middle school recently, revealing the close proximity of the problem. Hynes explained, often these predators will pretend to be a boyfriend/close friend, flourish young women with gifts, and make promises to run away together (targeting vulnerable adolescents, often facing language barriers or family troubles). Through this campaign, Hynes has gotten celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Gabourey Sidibe to be spokes persons for the cause, posting flyers/posters all over Brooklyn, creating a hotline for victims (718-250-2770), and reaching out to council members all over NYC to do outreach in their neighborhoods. Learning about these vital issues firsthand, is possibly the most beneficial aspect of my city council internship experience so far.

A Force to be Reckoned With!

The AccessAbility center in Hunter College is a department that that tends to the matters of students with disabilities. Interning at the AccessAbility Center in Hunter College has been self-gratifying for me and has opened my eyes to the world of disabilities. I find myself assisting many students with anxiety related towards computer usage, and class work, but my main objective interning with the AccessAbility center is to create a periodical. My position as an intern has given me the ability to work with a group within the AccessAbility center called the PossAbilities club. My project is to combine student’s writings on topics of disabilities and problems they encounter while living in the grand city of New York. Many students have responded positively to this periodical project and feel that it can relay their voices within the Hunter community. This gives students creative leeway to express themselves and be heard.

I feel that working with the AccessAbility center has made me in to a disabilities awareness advocate. The plethora of students with disabilities and concerns has really given me a genuine idea of their academic lives. Students in many schools might not know this but it is quite possible that they attend classes with other student with learning disabilities. Now lets get this straight… a disability is not always physically noticeable. I feel that people can sometimes stereotypically categorize disabilities with people who have physical challenges, and that’s not always the case. Disabilities include and are not restricted to, medical, physiological, and neurological conditions. For example, Cancer, HIV-AIDS, Depression, Schizophrenia are all examples of disabilities beyond the typical notion that a person is only disabled if they are blind or in a wheelchair.

So far it has been difficult to find students who can add to the publication. Due to this difficulty I am starting to advertise within Hunter community for students who want to add to the periodical. A student does not have to be disabled to contribute to the publication. As of yet I have had some students that are registered with the AccessAbility center wanting to artistically draw out interpretations of their obstacles. I greatly encourage the students to be creative when adding to the periodical because this can attract readers. I love that this publication can be a multidimensional piece because this can be eye-catching. We want to reach out and communicate to create a relationship among all student body groups. The support from Hunters student body can help change negative ideals on disabilities.

My experience with the AccessAbility center has been very good. I have learned many things about individuals with disabilities, and how to approach a problem. Not all disabilities are the same, and it is important to learn the different kinds of disabilities to understand this group. Discrimination towards this group of people is still prevalent because people are not educated on laws such as the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. These laws help protect people with disabilities but unfortunately people with disabilities are still being discriminated. Ultimately I feel that this periodical is a great way to show that people with disabilities have a right to be heard and can accomplish many admirable things. It can also show that people with disabilities are a force to be reckoned with!

If any one would like to add to the AccessAbility periodical please feel free to contact me through here. Thank you!

Cancer and Careers Gives Hope and Help to Employees with Cancer

Cancer and Careers: Living and Working with Cancer

I am doing my internship at Cancer and Careers a program part of the CEW Foundation. The CEW foundation is the charitable arm of Cosmetic Executive Women, Inc., a New York-based non-profit trade organization. Cancer and Careers is committed to changing the face of cancer in the workplace. Work doesn’t stop once you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. About 80% of cancer survivors return to work after treatment. Cancer and Careers provides women living with cancer with a comprehensive website, free publications, community seminars, support groups and educational events.

I have been at Cancer and Careers for about two months and everyday that I am in the office it’s always something new and different. This is one of their busiest time of the year as they prepare for several projects, fundraising events and community seminars. One of the biggest events is their annual 2010 Beauty of Giving Luncheon & Live Auction at the Waldorf Astoria on December 10th. I’ve had to create the VIP list, put together the invitations that are provided by Shiseido (one of their main sponsors ) and other projects will come up as the event approaches. I have also been doing a lot of research and outreach work looking for other cities throughout the country that can be a 2011 prospect to host a Balancing Cancer and Careers Community Seminar. I have also made phone calls to other non-profit organizations, hospitals and Clinical Social Workers asking if they were interested in participating and helping us spread the word about our Beauty of Caring Event. Cancer and Careers also just started a new Young Adult Support Group being held by Laura Mosiello, a LCSW-R ( Licensed Clinical Social Worker-R).

http://www.facebook.com/CancerandCareers

Navigating Social Change with NYPIRG

I am doing an internship at NYPIRG(New York Public Interest Research Group).
NYPIRG is a public interest group that has chapters all over New York State which promote student advocacy. This Interest group has been around since 1973 and in that time has been

apart of the creation of 120 public laws and executive orders. NYPIRG is

in 20 college campuses in New York State that are both CUNY and SUNY.

Student advocacy in governmental matters such as transit services,tuition hikes, and voter registration (NYPIRG has no party affiliation).
So far in my internship I have done clothing drive work at a Presbyterian Church, and been trained in a Strap Hangers service
in which i am now capable of rating and grading transit services of the MTA.
throughout my internship i will be involved in matters surrounding Hunter College,
I hope to do advocacy for tuition reduction and to be better trained in matters of public speaking about that certain issue.
I am scheduled to do some homeless outreach on night runs in which we go to certain spots in the city and hand out food and drink to people in need.
NYPIRG also presents itself in clubs and Initiatives going on in Hunter College, So far i have sat with the Green Initiative Fund(dedicating itself to the greening of Hunter College)and the Black Male Initiative(Dedicated to giving black male students at hunter tools and opportunities towards graduation and beyond).Both being strong representatives of the social and world consensus on public policy in progressive styling that is constantly put forth by NYPIRG.

Workspace

At my architectural internship my workspace is what I would call ideal. The office is set up so there are no walls separating one another, we all (all five of us) work in a studio space. The firm is located in TriBeCa and the walk to work every week is one of my favorite things this semester.

Below are a few photos of my space.

Single Fathers ages 16-24 Wanted....

Currently I am interning for a non profit organization called Scan La Guardia Memorial House, located in East Harlem’s 116th street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. Scan which stand for Supportive Children’s Advocacy Network provides residents of East Harlem with family counseling, parenting workshops, after-school programs and teen activities. During my highschool years I was heavily influenced by the “Reach for the Stars” college readiness service I received from Scan and as my way of giving back I am now devoting my time and assistance for the organization. Every week the center provides numerous workshops including the one this week titled “Strengthening The Role of Fathers,” an eight weeks workshop that is dedicated to single fathers ages 16-24 with child support order. As an intern this week I helped set up the workshop by reaching out to participants to confirm their attendance followed by making important phone calls to prepare monthly stipends and metrocards that is given to participants.
The main topics discussed in this week’s workshop were child support, conflict meditation and role of a father and his rights. Participants began the session by discussing their relationship with the mother of their child and steps that can be taken to improve it. It seemed like most of the father’s main concerns were visitation and custodial separation, then the workshop instructor explained the importance of going to a court hearing the first time around dressed professionally to impress the judge. Participants learned the dos and don’ts in family court along with the difference between child support enforcement agency and family court. This session from my understanding was therapy for most of the fathers due to the stress that comes from having a newborn financially and emotionally. Eventhough in the beginning the process of setting up the workshop for my first time seemed hard the positive feedback was rewarding. I had the chance to network with social workers from the “Single Parent Resource Center” that came to lecture the workshop and had the chance to gain experience on my public speaking skills.

A week at the Sara D. Roosevelt Park

One of my favorite parks, while interning for the Parks Department over the summer, was the Sara D. Roosevelt Park at the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Extending from East Houston Street, between Christy and Forsyth Streets, all the way to Canal Street, the park welcomed a diversity of people. The M’Finda Kalunga garden; the boys playing soccer, basketball, and handball, and skateboarding; the elderly Chinese women doing their exercise routine at the soccer field next to Pace High School, the children having fun in the recreational areas; and the people seating on the park benches around noon made the park a lively one.

Over the five days I spent surveying trees at this park, people asked me about the job I was doing. Their curiosity increased as they saw me measuring trees and jumping over fences. One of the park’s staff, unaware of who I worked for, asked me to “get off the fenced area, since it was not open to the public”. With a measuring meter and a tree guide titled “New York City Tree Guide” on hand, I explained that I as an intern for the Parks Department my job was to collect tree data for a tree citywide inventory. The majority of people further asked me how old the trees were, thinking that I was a tree expert. I couldn’t answer to their question since I wasn’t a forester. I wish I knew how old these trees were, but it was this particular question that lead to consider forestry as my possibly focus for Graduate school.

Despite the fact, that the park was being well utilized by people of different group ages, the northern section of the park between Delancey and Broome streets was the least attractive and organized. Not only were the fenced areas filled with trash, but the different trees that have been in this section made it look horrendous. Species ranged from evergreens to the ubiquitous London Plane trees (found in most places around New York City.) Whoever decided to plant all these tree species probably did not have any idea of how disorganized and unattractive this section of the park was going to look like once the trees will have grown.

During my internship with DPR, whenever I couldn’t find a tree species in the tree guide, I took a picture of the tree’s leaves and bark and texted it to my supervisor. He then told me, if it wasn’t in the guide, what species it belonged to. He was a quite man and not much older than me, but he was very accessible. One particular tree I had difficulty identifying at the Sara Roosevelt Park was a Flowering Cherry. Not only did this tree had a similar bark and leaves as that of a Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata), but its pink flowers which blossom in the spring time wither in the summer. Other than that, and the unattractive section I mentioned before, I dare to say that so far Sara Roosevelt Park is one my favorites in NYC!

Transit-Oriented Development: Creativity in the Face of Bureaucratic Adversity

I’ve been interning with the Transit-Oriented Development team, a subset of the Department of Real Estate Development, which is a division of the Real Estate Department at the MTA. And I thought the bureaucracy at Hunter College was convoluted.

The sheer number of departments and agencies with their own jurisdictions and mandates within the MTA is astonishing. I’d imagine that, given the number of hands that any approval must go through to get a final “OK,” even putting up a “Change of Service” poster in a Subway station is a small miracle. I’d venture to say that few New Yorkers have a grasp of how massive a system the MTA is, and what goes into keeping the transit network up.

The TOD team works to promote private and joint development on MTA-owned and operated property in the half-mile radius surrounding transit hubs in New York City and its suburbs. Using livability principles a la Jane Jacobs as an operative framework, MTA-TOD incites growth with an eye toward economic and ecological sustainability. Yet I’ve already become frustrated with the constraints that the City’s bureaucracy have placed on MTA-TOD’s capacity to negotiate plans with developers. Because TOD is still largely on the periphery of the MTA’s greater vision for New York City transit, it has not received the resources and the funding that it needs to operate at full efficiency.

Still, I’ve been incredibly impressed by my supervisors’ work; the amount that they have accomplished, in terms of ensuring that growth on MTA land remains sustainable and friendly to the pedestrian and bicyclist, is astounding. I am amazed at the intuitive ways in which they’ve crafted streamlined solutions to bureaucratic limitations. I look forward to working with MTA-TOD on applying creative problem-solving to a largely technocratic institution.

I am pleased to say that my supervisors have worked with me very closely to make sure that my work reflects my interests to the greatest extent possible. Of course, as in any internship (or any job, I would imagine) there are tedious tasks to be taken care of. No matter how you frame it, a spreadsheet is always still a spreadsheet, and an archive is still an archive. But for the most part, I’m loving what I’m doing.

As such, my assigned tasks have required a great deal of creative thought. I’ve been tasked largely with documenting the real estate value added by transit in neighborhoods surrounding transit. The aim of these “added value” assignments is to quantify the impact that TOD has on communities. To supplement this work, I’ve been doing external research with one of my supervisors into the feasibility of using tax increment financing to fund transportation projects in and around the City.

As a discipline, TOD is an integral part of sustainable development, an area toward which I have definitely noticed my interests and career aspirations trending. The internship I’m completing here will no doubt provide me with some of the planning and neighborhood-building skills that I need in order to succeed in my career.

How much food do we grow?

There are nearly 500 community gardens scattered across the five boroughs of New York City. In a city of 8 million people, this is undeniably a large number. Data is widely available to determine where community gardens are located and how big they are, but in this agglomeration, one crucial set of data is missing- how much food is being grown? This is where Farming Concrete- a volunteer, citizen science project- comes in. The mission of Farming Concrete is to quantify how much food is grown in New York City community gardens.

I stepped into this project in late July, as it was nearing its apex. My position title was “Urban Agriculture Researcher.” As a researcher, I would be assigned to drawing maps of gardens, measuring the dimensions of each garden bed, recording the number of produce growing, and collecting completed harvest logs. Yet, already 20 somewhat researchers were roaming the streets, equipped with paper and pencil, tape measures, mapping forms, and scales. What was my role in this grandiose scheme? Would I be able to catch up with my fellow team members? I was excited to begin mapping yet uncertain of my capabilities.

It seems that Mara, the project coordinator, was a bit hesitant as well to let me venture out into the field on my own. A week later, I received an e-mail from Mara, suggesting that I take on a new role. I panicked; what did I do wrong? Did I say something to offend Mara? Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned my disinclination to visit gardens in neighborhoods deemed unsafe or too far away. Nonetheless, this was not the time to begin arguing with my supervisor.

My new role was to be a project coordinator- a nice title as well. For the next few weeks, my job was to coordinate mapping across the boroughs, which entailed reviewing the master spreadsheet and keeping track of which gardens had been visited and which ones needed someone to go map them. In addition to this task, I went through hundreds of garden addresses, identifying the ones which were erroneous or had missing data. Although the work was quite tedious at the time, it proved to be extremely useful. Once corrected, the data was quickly exported into a Google Map, available for use to all researchers and volunteers searching for gardens to map in their neighborhood.

By early September, I began to grow restless of my job. The main purpose of this internship was supposed to be to go out into the field, speak to gardeners, draw maps, do crop inventory and measure plot dimensions. I had the uneasy feeling that my contribution to the project as of far was minuscule. With a determination to be more involved, I emailed Mara and asked her if I could visit a few gardens on my own in Coney Island- the closest location to me. To my surprise and pleasure, Mara wholeheartedly encouraged me to pursue Coney Island- an area of Brooklyn that has received little coverage. I had a paradox of feelings: on the one hand, I was all too eager to trek through gardens, counting tomato and pepper plants; on the other hand, I had neither idea of where to begin once I arrived at the garden nor any foreknowledge of plant identification.

My first visit to a garden was disastrous; I didn’t know whether I should begin by drawing a map of the garden or do crop inventory. Furthermore, I didn’t know whether I should count each individual vegetable or begin counting by plants. Luckily, on my second visit the following week, I came better prepared. I had written down the steps I would take and austerely followed them. The most satisfying aspect of that day was speaking to the gardener himself and hearing his story. I listened to him regale how he built the garden from scratch, the struggle of fighting with the city when it sought to decimate what he had built, and his final triumph in winning the fight against the city. Now, he works to preserve and promote the garden as a place for everyone in the neighborhood to enjoy. It is often mind-boggling to me that ordinary people can make such a stark contribution to a neighborhood.

As the harvest season is beginning to near its end, many new tasks await to be done. In addition to making final garden visits, there are harvest logs to be collected, phone calls to be made, mailing addresses to be retrieved, thank you letters to be sent out, and evaluation forms to create. For those who are interested in learning more about our project, there is an interactive map of our results so far on the following website: http://harvest.farmingconcrete.com/.

Passionate Women in City Council

As I transition into my final semester at Hunter, I have developed more and more anxieties in terms of what’s next on the career agenda after graduation. I have grown sentimental over losing the in-school class experience, but excited about developing work experience that will make me focus and build more skills. Maybe that is why I feel my internship with a prominent council member (CM) will likely prove invaluable.
Excited to learn more about the political side of the city council, yet unsure what being a council member really entails, I came into the office not knowing what to expect. Immediately, I was approached by the CM’s chief of staff, a younger guy with a good sense of humor and laid back demeanor, who is sort of my coach/boss. I then, met everyone in the office, which consisted of the CM herself and her urban planner, a recent graduate from Colombia. While I was nervous and not so sure that having a laid back staff would be ideal (concerned I wouldn’t have enough to do), I was relieved how friendly and forthcoming everyone was. It was the urban planner’s first day, so we had a lot in common, and it felt good to talk to someone about land use policies and other controversial zoning proposals going on in the city right now. While, I look forward to seeing how city government works and improving my writing skills during this internship, I may learn the most from this co-worker who seems to have a good understanding of land use planning and policies. That entire day I felt like I was in an episode of the West Wing (minus the White House part), following my pacing chief of staff around the halls and peeking in on various press conferences and meetings, a preview I found exciting.
Over the past few weeks since then, I came to realize the immense responsibilities of the council member, and also what she prioritizes. I was fortunate to get paired with someone who is align with my political ideologies, as she is a strong advocate for immigration justice, affordable housing, education, and worker’s rights. My respect for her has grown and I admire her passion, sense of humor, and great communication skills. Considering how I never figured city council to be a very radical space, but more a neutral one, I was really pleased to meet some of the council members and see that they were extremely passionate about certain issues. This realization came to a forefront, when the chief of staff (my coach) came in the office last week and said, “Now you’re gonna see the government side of things.” Having spent the prior week sitting at a computer drafting back-to-back letters, I was stoked. I attended a women’s caucus meeting, which consisted of several female council members who gathered to discuss various human rights legislation as well as discussing the planning of events in their districts regarding the October Domestic Violence Awareness month. My assigned task was to take notes on the meeting for my council member. Speakers from the Urban Justice Center attended the meeting and proposed a human rights bill, hoping to gather support from the council members, while some had already signed off on it. I was pleased to listen in on the conversation, and see how the CMs interacted with each other. At this point, I really developed a sense of the distinctive personalities and value systems of these members, some of whom were surprisingly radical, strongly defending their neighborhood, and others who were skeptical and analytical, providing several suggestions and ideas. Observing this meeting was definitely the highlight of my internship experience so far. Later in the same day, I also attended a city State of the Union address downtown, which enabled me to see the whole city legislative process, and my CM in action. I hope I will be able to attend more meetings and events in the future--so far this has proved to be the most exciting aspect.

All trees look alike!

On my first day as an intern for the Parks Department, I had to identify trees! This was one of my biggest concerns prior to starting the internship. For I didn't have any experience whatsoever identifying tree species! Fortunately, I was provided with a tree guide, titled "New York City Trees", containing basic information of the most common trees in New York City. The photographs of trees' leaves and bark it included significantly helped me determine the species each tree.
On that first day, I spent my time identifying and categorizing about 10 trees; each of them according to their physical condition. Some of these trees were excellent. Others were in either good or fair condition. At the beginning though, all trees looked alike!
In the past, I never stopped at a park to examine trees’ leaves or barks. But as a GIS tree inventory intern, that was exactly what I had to do. Maple trees looked all alike to each other, for example. Looking for a maple tree’s fruit, however, was definitely a giveaway. The problem then was that some trees didn't have any fruit. Some of the trees’ wither during the summertime, making it hard sometime to tell what species they belong to.
Aware that by working on different city parks I was going to acquire arboriculture knowledge, motivated me to bear the hot summer days that waited for me.

The Interview

Internships do not appear out of nowhere, and especially in a large city like New York, and in a competitive job market to top it off. Securing an internship is not a task to be taken lightly. One of the first places I contacted was an organization that deals directly with two of my primary interests – worker and immigrant rights. When they called me back to schedule an interview I was thrilled. As with many grassroots organizations, it is small (as is their office space), a very casual environment at first glance. I interviewed at a card table in a room in which three other people were working in close proximity. Aside from the odd setup, the interview seemed to go well, and the individual I met with seemed impressed with my research and interest in their organization.

I left with every reason to believe that I had the internship. Days turned into a week with no word, so I began frantically applying for other internships, all the while wondering what I had done wrong and believing it is truly a cold world out there. Doubts and second guessing set in. Maybe I had dressed too casually – slacks, a blouse and brightly colored loafers may not have given the right impression. Maybe I was too soft spoken. Maybe I was too white.

I interviewed with a city council member’s office and scheduled an interview for the following week. This time I wore my best Goldman-esque outfit – no jokes in the ensemble this time around. I spent an eternity on the train, and became successfully late for an interview for the first time in my life. I was appalled at how I let this happen – I have seen many candidates dismissed simply for being late. I tried to act like an adult, and called the contact I would be meeting with to inform him I was running 10 minutes late. The interview was more formal than the last, but the two individuals I met with made me feel comfortable and the issues handled in their office- while not my first choice- were fascinating and I knew I would learn a lot. I was caught off guard when asked if I spoke Romanian – yes, I taught English there for a summer but certainly did not master the language in mere weeks. Just goes to show than anything on one’s resume is fair game for questions from any angle.

The next day the first organization I had interviewed with called to see when I would like to start interning. Really? I had already asked friends and co-workers to serve as references for the city council member’s office and had every intention of going ahead with the latest option. But as my heart was really with the issues of the first organization, I quickly emailed the city council members office to let them know the situation and may well intern there next semester.

Lessons learned? Always be on my A-game. Over-dressing on purpose is just part of the process, and at least one never has to doubt that they did that part of the interview wrong. Allow 30 minutes of margin to get to the interview (one would think this is common sense, but….) because between trains running slow, transfers, and scouting out the office, it is better to hang out around the corner at a coffee shop then have to make the phone call I did. I also learned not be afraid to ask for a clearer definition of where things are heading – “when might I expect to hear from you?” or “when do you expect to make a decision?” would have been perfectly acceptable questions I could have asked that would have prevented my internship obtainment roller coaster.

Now I will be living with my decision to go with the less formal organization – and while my heart is in it, who knows how their seemingly haphazard approach will play into the internship over the next few months. I will be attending member meetings, doing outreach, and assisting in the office, but I still need to coordinate a more formal mutual understanding of what the expectations are.

photo credit: http://domesticworkersunited.blogspot.com/

Flowers, Art, and 3D Modeling

My internship is at a small architecture firm in TriBeCa. The firm consists of 4 architects, myself, and Angus (the principle's yorkie).

On my first day I was thrown right into the mix. There was no slow first day of getting to know everyone. Thirty minutes after I arrived Andre (one of the architects) and myself were leaving the office on our way to the Flat Iron district to evaluate a mixed use building. The walk from the subway to the building was lovely, we walked through the 'Flower District' (which I didn't know existed until this time), it was beautiful. The streets were lined with every type of flower you could imagine. After the 10 minute walk we arrived to the site. The site consists of 3 buildings that were remodeled into 1 building. This was one of the most difficult spaces to navigate that I have ever been in. There were stair cases everywhere, weird hallways, uneven flooring, and a mixed use of materials that had no correlation to one another.

Once inside we made our way to apartment/art studio 3B. Upon entering the studio it appeared to be a normal space, boy were we in for a surprize. We start to examine the space and realize there are randomly placed walls, some shotty yet nicely done construction, the random curved walls, stair cases to combat the difference in floor level, windows from room to room, windows to outside that were completely hidden, piles of suit cases in every room, and the most interesting was the owners art collection. The owner is an artist and he displayed all of his own art around the space. Andre and I began to measure the spaces, when the owner came and started talking to Andre. He told us about his life, and how he made it to the USA. We spent a good deal of time talking with this fellow before finishing the measurements.

When the measurements were done, we made the trip back to the office.

I uploaded all of the photos we took, and began to draw the space we had measured on the computer (we use Archi-CAD). I was having some difficulty drawing this space as it was very strange, but after spending the time to re-evaluate and look through our photos I was able to draw the studio.

I will be spending most of my time measuring, and drawing this building over the coming months.