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Juuling: a College Lifestyle or Epidemic?

You encounter it everywhere: sitting in a crowded lecture hall, walking down Waverly Place, and even in the quiet study rooms of Bobst.  A quick puff of smoke followed by the sickeningly sweet smell of mango. The Juul, designed as a nicotine-packed electronic alternative to cigarettes and sleekly packaged to resemble a flash drive, has taken over many college campuses – including NYU’s.

The use of Juuls on campus is prevalent.

“I didn’t used to smoke before coming to NYU,” senior Shraddha Nair stated. Now, she says she smokes at least two pods a week.

“During finals it will be a pod every couple days,” she said.

A 2017 study in Sage Journals found that 16 percent of first-year college students in their sample of 2,110, from 24 U.S. colleges, who previously never used electronic nicotine products, were users by the end of that year.

Student Daniela Villa has noticed this addiction growing among her peers at NYU,

“Instead of it being an alternative to cigarettes, [Juuling has] become, in my opinion, a more drastic addiction than what people have with cigarettes,” Villa said and continued, “People Juul all the time because it’s super easy to carry around.”

The Juul next to a NYU student's workload. Courtesy of Shraddha Nair

NYU’s Student Health Center has resources centered around quitting smoking using nicotine replacement therapy, but the resources available to people who want to stop Juuling are limited. The Health Center’s website references literature that states health officials are concerned about the consequences of using electronic nicotine devices, specifically naming the Juul.

Growing concern surrounds the use of the Juul on NYU’s campus as being directly related to the high stress environment of the university. The average Juul pod contains the same amount of nicotine as twenty cigarettes. Meaning that when exam time comes, Nair is ingesting as much nicotine as if she smoked a pack of cigarettes every couple days.

Villa says that the Juul has become a part of the New York student culture.

“With all their advertising, with flavors, and colors, and young people, they’ve targeted college and even high school students,” she said.

The small rectangle can be found being passed from student to student in meetings as likely as inside any NYC club. The vapor doesn’t hang in the air or stick to clothes like cigarettes, creating an infinitely stealthier fix for college students as they charge into their weekends.

Nair expresses a desire to stop using her Juul. She said, “Working in a professional setting will definitely make me quit.” However, she also has doubts, “But, if I end up going to grad school, it is unlikely that I will.”

New Awareness Campaign Sparked By Sewer Backups, Flooding and “Fatbergs”

An increase in sales and subsequent flushing of so-called “flushable wipes” has created enormous mounds of congealed fat and wipes in the sewer system, sparking a public awareness campaign run by NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection.

These “fatbergs,” named for their fat content and resemblance to icebergs, have clogged sewer systems worldwide, including those in New York City, causing sewer backups and flooding, according to the DEP.

"Trash It, Don't Flush It" campaign poster in an NYC subway car

The campaign, titled “Trash It Don’t Flush it,” launched the week of Feb. 21.

“We hope to raise awareness generally about what is appropriate for flushing down a toilet or pouring down the drain, and what should be thrown in the trash,” said Edward Timbers, Director of Communications at the NYC DEP in an email statement.  “This is especially important when the wipes are being marketed and labeled as ‘flushable.’”

These wipes, marketed as “flushable” by major toilet paper companies like Cottonelle and Charmin, are causing a major problem in NYC’s sewer system and beyond, but continue to be misleadingly labeled.

According to Charmin’s website charmin.com “They’re flushable and safe for your sewer or septic system. But the DEP disagrees.

“When a product is labeled ‘flushable,’ it generally means that it will clear your toilet bowl,” according to the agency’s website fatbergfree.nyc. “It does not mean it will definitely clear your pipes or break down in the sewer system or at a wastewater treatment plant.”

Despite evidence in the form of fatbergs sometimes spanning 210 feet and weighing 130 tons, as was the case in London, this is not clear to many flushable wipe customers.

For those who think the problem is not theirs to worry about, the DEP’s website for the campaign assures them it is.

According to the campaign website, “Liquefied fat, oil, or grease that is poured down the sink can cling to the insides of pipes and sewers. Over time it can build up and block pipes completely.”

As also stated on the campaign website, “When wastewater can’t move freely through the sewer system due to these blockages, it can cause flooding in local neighborhoods and sewer backups in your home!” 

According to the Director of Communications, the NYC DEP has been in contact with wipes companies, but to no avail.

“Wipes have been a growing source of revenue for the companies,” Timbers said and continued, “And they have challenged other municipalities in court when they attempted to regulate the product and how it is marketed.”

The “Trash It. Don’t Flush It.” campaign informs in a simple and easy-to-remember manner what we can and can’t flush.

What is okay to flush, according to the DEP, can be confined to the “Four P’s.”

“Poop, pee, puke, and toilet paper are the ONLY things to flush down the toilet,” according to the campaign website.

NYU said they were unable to comment on the campaign.

A Day in the Life of a Blind Brooklyn Athlete and Rapper

A Day in the Life of Jahron Black

Brooklyn local Jahron Black relaxes in his backyard before heading to the New York Association for Blind Athlete’s goalball practice, a sports game specially crafted for the visually impaired. As the president of this organization and a visually impaired man himself, Black prides himself in the awareness he raises for people like him. “This was a sport that was founded over 20 years ago after World War II, to help the veterans cope with losing their vision,” said Black.

When he was born, Black was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, a medical condition in which some optic nerve axons in the eyes do not develop fully. As a child, he fell in love with sports and after getting involved in NYABA, he has worked towards inspiring all kids with visual impairments to be active. “A lot of times parents are afraid for their child, and what happens is that the child ends up being sheltered. They become socially awkward and they do not excel in public,” said Black. “Just because you are visually impaired, does not mean you have other cognitive disabilities.”

Black carefully sets up the 9 x 18 meter court with wire, to assist the visually impaired players with touching the court boundaries. He reaches for the 4-pound ball in the back of the gymnasium, which is filled with bells in its center to assist players with hearing when the ball is volleyed back and forth. “I always call it a mix of bowling and soccer,” said Black.

In the game, the court is broken down into three sections: the left wing, the right wing, and the center wing. Although all players are visually impaired, some have different levels of blindness. To make the game completely fair, all players are blindfolded.

Along with being a player in the goalball league, Jahron works to teach people with vision about the game. Pictured here is Jahron teaching two New York Cares volunteers with sight how to play.

Apart from being involved in the NYABA, Jahron works on telling his story through rapping, which he works on from his bedroom in Brooklyn. “It is therapeutic for me. I think music is a gateway into the soul, and I pride myself for the life I live to be a connection point to all walks of life. It can change many lives,” said Black.

Dynamic Profiles of Shanghai’s Longtang

Longtang is a public alleyway or a series of interconnected lanes found in traditional neighborhoods in Shanghai. Just like any other urban metropolis, Shanghai tells a tale of two cities. Even in some of its most expensive housing districts such as Nanjing East Road and Laoximen, there remain Longtang dwellers living in poor conditions and cramped spaces, which are in sharp contrast to gleaming high-rise luxury apartments just streets away.

These Longtangs are lacking in basic facilities such as indoor plumbing, heating and insulation. Often there are no toilets, so residents have to empty their own waste bowls. Urbanization has led to the demolishing of many such Longtangs because real estate developers buy places which have commercial value to be redeveloped. Many former residents are happy to receive cash handouts to leave their dilapidated dwellings and move into modern buildings. Those who remain because their Longtangs were not chosen to be redeveloped are unhappy with the current state of affairs.

Though, not all are complaining. Some people are content with just how things are. Others are calling for more cultural preservation instead of blind demolishing of these historical sites. Most of these Longtangs are nearly a century old, dating back to the 1920s and ’30s. These photographs provide a glimpse into the multi-faceted characters who make up Shanghai’s Longtangs.

Shopkeeper Mdm Zhang, 78, has been living in Shanghai for the past 50 years. “I told my grandson that in the past during natural disasters, we had to starve. He told me, impossible! He doesn’t believe me.” The bathroom area at the back of her store is hidden from sight with a modest piece of cloth.

Zhang says she runs the store because she is retired and has nothing else to do. Despite being a senior, she climbs a ladder to reach her bedroom which is located right above her store.

“You will be horrified by how bad the conditions are here,” Mr. Chen said and continued, “There is no toilet, we have to empty out the waste bowls… I wish to move out, but I have to listen to fate.”

Mrs. Xue has been a resident in this Longtang for 25 years. While the transportation is convenient, she complains that the space is getting too crowded. “This place is too small now that my daughter, 24, is older. I hope it gets torn down.”

Mr. Chen is a bachelor enjoying his retirement life. “I have no kids because I have no space to make babies!” His wicked sense of humor disguises his despair at his circumstance. “Who doesn’t want to live in a better house? Of course I want to move into a high-rise,” he said, echoing the thoughts of many residents who wish for their current houses to be demolished.

 

A Longtang which is cordoned off and being demolished right opposite Mr. Chen’s residence. The original residents have moved out of this estate.

This is a newly-renovated Longtang with newer and improved facilities. It has wide, spacious streets and even public toilets. Tourists armed with cameras stroll around here frequently.

“I like living here, I like the freedom,” said an antiques collector and trader who has spent 30 years in Shanghai.

“I only collect the finest of the finest.”

Born and raised in this Longtang, the young man is a university student studying film editing. “I like living here, there is nothing bad about living here. When I graduate, I will take over my father’s stores here.”

 

“I like all my classes at school. My hobby is running. I like everything about this place, in particular my family,” said a girl on the scooter.

    

Reference sources:

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2144013/development-destroys-old-shanghai-residents-win-payouts-lose-neighbourhood

The Reality of the Emotional Support Animal System

Noah DeFranceschi has hay and chewed-up cardboard under his dorm bed. When he buys items, he leaves the boxes on the floor if they do not have too much tape or ink on them. This habitat below his bed is for his emotional support animal (ESA), Chai, a brown and white bunny who loves to chew.

DeFranceschi adopted Chai in July 2018 to help with his mental health: he has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

“If I feel like really like out of it and I don’t feel like getting out of bed, I have to push myself,” DeFranceschi said and continued, “Then I’ll get up and feed him, and then I’ll end up eating too. So it makes me feel responsible for someone else, and then I end up being more responsible for myself.”

Chai helps DeFranceschi’s depression by also making him feel less lonely and sad. When he is feeling anxious or having flashbacks that are associated with his PTSD, he pets the rabbit slowly as a way of calming himself and grounding himself in the moment.

Photo Courtesy of Noah Defranceschi. Chai, Noah Defranceschi’s emotional support animal, lays in his bed in Defranceschi’s dorm room.

Photo Courtesy of Noah Defranceschi. Chai, Noah Defranceschi’s emotional support animal, lays in his bed in Defranceschi’s dorm room.

According to Rebecca Stone, a licensed mental health counselor in Florida who trains other professionals on how to use ESAs as treatment, the number of people with ESAs has increased significantly recently.

Along with this increase, comes attention — and abuse. On June 4, 2017, the large dog sitting next to Marlin Jackson on a Delta flight lunged at his face, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jackson required 28 stitches and has visible scars. The dog’s owner said the Labrador mix was an emotional support dog, according to the Washington Post.

The exact number of ESAs is unknown; no entity keeps track of these animals, which has caused confusion. According to a Jan. 19 statement, Delta made its requirements for ESAs stricter because it is a “disservice to customers who have real and documented needs” to allow people to take advantage of loose regulations.

These new regulations were a long time coming. The airlines recently announced that it flew 150 percent more ESAs in 2017 than in 2015. Since 2016, Delta has had an “84 percent increase in reported animal incidents,” including urination, defecation, and biting.

This increase in incidents related to ESAs is not limited to Delta. In January 2018, a woman tried to board a United Airlines flight with a peacock she claimed was an ESA, but the airline refused because of the bird’s size, prompting the creation of a stricter policy to avoid case-by-case decisions in the future, according to the New York Times.

The lack of regulation regarding ESAs is in stark contrast to service animals. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal is a dog who is trained to perform tasks that benefit someone with a disability, including pulling a wheelchair or pressing an elevator button. The key differences between these systems are the intense and strict training that service animals receive and the tighter regulations and requirements that leave less area for interpretation.

Stone explained that this abuse of the ESA system is in part because the system still exists in a “gray area.” She said that determining whether someone qualifies for an ESA is subjective and is decided on an individual basis according to their mental health professional’s judgment.

Although no strict set of criteria exists, Stone said that mental health professionals follow three steps in order to recommend an ESA: identify that the person has a diagnosis, confirm that “symptoms or effects of the diagnosis significantly impact the person’s daily life, and agree that the animal will alleviate at least one of these symptoms.

This “gray area” is what people take advantage of to abuse the system. Oftentimes, people try to have their pet fly for free or allow the animal to live in no-pet or pet-restricted housing, according to Stone, because these are rights afforded to ESAs by the law.

“A cottage industry sprung up in service of low-level fraud,” wrote New York Times Op-Ed Columnist David Leonhardt. “For $30 on Amazon, you can buy a bright-red dog vest that reads, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. With a quick web search, you can find a therapist to diagnose you long-distance.”

Megan Jeter, 19, lives with her ESA Pheobe, a grey cat that Jeter adopted recently to help with her anxiety and depression. She supports stricter requirements and advocates for one central regulation system so that she and others with ESAs do not have to feel “invalidated” or have to explain themselves.

DeFranceschi,19, feels that many people assume that everyone with an ESA is exploiting the system for their own benefit because this is all that they have experienced, which “makes it so much harder to have them take you seriously.”

Phone Banking with the ACLU

Phone banking during election season is a battleground of frustration and enlightenment. But doing so the last stretch of the weekend before the 2018 midterm elections can be a matter of life or death. It’s not easy to get up on a Saturday morning to phone bank for the American Civil Liberties Union at The Standard Hotel’s Narcbar.

The little luxury coffee-shop style bar was filled with people of all ages. Some of which who were first timers and some who have been veterans. College aged students anxiously re-read their scripts again and again in their booths to make sure that they weren’t going to stumble their words. Old men with new laptops recounted their first phone bank about 30 years ago. Middle aged women were blistering with confidence and embracing other volunteers who they have worked with in the past, asking how they have been, and what other canvassing jobs they were doing this past election season. While the bustle is going on, several volunteers ask for a cocktail from the bar or a cup of coffee to relax before asking strangers about their state legislation.

“So, are you sure you are registered to vote?” asked one woman volunteer to the bartender.

“Yeah, but somehow I’m registered for both Massachusetts and New York,” she said while the woman was frantically searching for her voter registration status online. It turns out she was in fact only registered for New York.

These civically engaged citizens are the forefront in the effort of making Virginia voters aware of Amendment 1 on their state ballot, which may restrict a woman’s right to abortion and gives leeway for politicians to pass more laws that are restrictive and puts a woman’s life in danger.

“We just want to give voters the last final push to say no on this amendment,” said ACLU organizer and Standard Hotel employee Caitlin McConnell. Pushing against the terrors of the current administration and even at state levels, the ACLU fights these unjust causes with the help of the average citizen sacrificing a couple hours of their time.

As an hour goes past, volunteers across the whole bar are glued to their laptops reading the provided script and calling Virginia voters through the phoning service Hubdialer. Volunteers flew by some of the calls with the average call being around 30 seconds and being constantly rejected.

Many of the Virginia constituents become frustrated at the first phrase of a phone banker. After a very unsuccessful call, one volunteer expressed at the corner of the bar, “I just got off the phone with a man who said, ‘I don’t want to talk about politics with a stranger. Bye.’”

Despite these negative interactions, there are some eager voters who want to challenge the Amendment. A woman volunteer matched with a voter named Christopher who was too enthusiastic about voting no. He rambled for 5 minutes about how the administration is failing and commended the volunteer for taking the time to call him. Before reading the script and saying her last remarks, she thanked him, “I’m going to think about you when I go to the polls, Christopher.”

No Sleep ‘Till Midterms

ASTORIA DISPATCH

Astoria, Queens — On the bustling street corner of Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street, one young woman stands out among the crowd. 26-year-old, Hind Sophia, is spotted wearing a bright blue “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” t-shirt. Running on just a few hours of sleep, she still manages to flash a bright smile and hold a rambunctious puppy in her arms.

The pre-med, New York University alum, has taken to the streets to head the Ocasio campaign. “She’s only 28!” Hind tells of Ocasio’s success. “She’s barely older than me. And she’s going to be elected to serve in Congress.”

When Hind is not working on the Ocasio campaign, she works in a cancer research lab. “My parents wanted me to be a doctor,” she said. “Doctors help individuals. I went into research because I wanted to help a larger group of people.”

Hind got her start in the political world during Obama’s presidential campaign when she bravely canvassed door-to-door in her home state of Pennsylvania. Hind says her goal “is to work in Public Policy because that helps the largest group of people of all.”

On the gloomy Friday morning leading up to the election, Hind came prepared. Her canvas bag was overflowing with Ocasio posters, fliers, and pins in both English and Spanish.

Hundreds of people pass by, many keeping their heads down and headphones in, some refusing to even acknowledge her presence. But Hind stood on that corner, unwavering, with a smile on her face and a flyer in her hand. “It’s exhausting,” she said. “But the one person who does stop, makes this worth it.”

A mother pushing her son in a stroller stopped to tell Hind about her family traditions. “We love voting days,” she said. “Our whole family goes to vote, and then we celebrate with burgers.”

Some passerbyers, on the other hand, are not so friendly with their approach. “Communist!” A white, middle-aged man yelled to Hind from across the street. Still, the smile on her face remains. She took a deep breath, and prepared for battle. The two of them talked for quite some time before shaking hands and going their separate ways. “We need people to vote. That’s first and foremost. Who they choose to vote for comes second and I’m glad he’s voting.”  She let out a heavy sigh, exhausted from hours of rejection, and then announced, “I need to refuel. Let’s grab some coffee.”

A now fully-caffeinated Hind once again took to the streets to canvass for Ocasio, this time visiting shops and restaurants along 31st Street, asking owners and managers to put up Ocasio posters in windows. Once again, Hind was met with more “no’s” then “yes’,” but nevertheless, the smile did not leave her face. She trudged on, stopping at nothing to find the one store that would agree to put her poster in the window. “Look it’s my poster!” she exclaimed as she passed by an Ocasio poster hanging outside of a Liquor store.

“I am Muslim. I am a woman. And I represent America.” Hind says. “This is why I’m out here. I am the future.”

Election Day November 2018

“Well I vote for every election cycle but today felt especially important with the energy, and social media and the news…. I hope to see the largest voter turnout for a midterm election, especially for the youth.” – Dustin, 27, graphic designer, Lower East Side. 

Bronx Native Makes Marathons His Life

Will Willard

At 6 a.m. almost daily for six years, Sean Baez, 37-year-old Bronx native and marathon runner has grabbed a pair of running shoes from his collection and trained. He enjoys running shirtless through shady parks like Orchard Beach to show off his stomach tattoo; his name in flaming graffiti font. However, his favorite place to test his mettle is on the street where he takes pleasure in out-racing traffic.

People in his neighborhood have come to recognize him. Baez says he loves running helps him interact with people like the man and his dog who tried to keep up with him or the little boy who yelled out, “Daddy look! He’s so fast!”

In order to squeeze in more miles throughout the week, Baez turns his daily commute from the Bronx to Manhattan into training and, “another opportunity for growth.”

Baez often runs with the Brooklyn Track Club. “I wanted to push my limits, push my speed, but also hang out with people who have similar interests to keep me focused,” he said. Baez works around New York as a beer salesman.

In 2002 he joined the Bridge Runner Club to ensure, as he says, that he keep ‘going the distance’. Together he and his fellow club members have travelled to cities like Chicago and Atlanta all in the name of running bridges. Baez says he enjoyed the experience, but found constant travel exhausting.

Baez’s commitment to a runner’s lifestyle is not without sacrifice. First and foremost, he has had to withhold from the array of Hispanic-food classics his mother pushes on him. And of course a runner has no time for late nights out with friends.

Baez says his sense of self-discipline was instilled back in 1999 while serving in the US Army. Baez and his squad were made to run five miles every day and although he hated every step, he put his head down and kept at it.

Today, Baez has learned the importance of mental toughness especially in long distance. “A marathon is a different beast—you’re thinking more, your body is telling you to stop, your mind has to be stronger,” he said. “If I have to be tired, I’ll be tired.”

There’s always another marathon and he plans to work harder for next time, but for this marathon Sunday at least he can finally fill up on his mother’s pork tacos.

Baez had hoped to get a time under three hours for the marathon instead his time was 3:33:29. He says that he is completely happy with the time although he blames himself. “I didn’t train for the pace I was going. After mile 17 it was all downhill.”

Baez says that all he can do is start again and work harder for next time, but for the time being he can finally fill up on his mother’s pork tacos.

Seeing the World Through Marathons

“I was not about to be a jock,” said Scott Chow, about resisting his parents efforts to join a high school team sport. Originally drawn to the ultimate frisbee, Chow decided to join the track team to condition, deciding to pursue long distance.

And he’s never looked back. Six years later Chow, 20,  ran a time of 2:52:19 in Sunday’s TCS New York City Marathon. Chow is a Computer Science Major at the University of California Santa Barbara

Chow, who wants to see the world through running, has a goal to run the six major world marathons: Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago, Boston, London, and New York City. So far he has run the Boston Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon twice.

At his high school in a San Francisco suburb, he was hooked on running from the first day.  “I was absolutely enthralled with it, it was addictive.” said Chow. He was obsessed with the feeling of accomplishment after a run and with watching his time drop.

However he cautions against chasing faster and faster times.“People who usually chase the time don’t last as long because they tend to hit a plateau and lose interest or get injured” Chow said.

Boston was a hard race for Chow. “I absolutely exploded, I broke on heartbreak hill,” Chow said. Heartbreak hill is a series of hills between miles 17-21 and it breaks a lot of people. He remembers thinking in the moment that he couldn’t go any more and began to walk. “It still haunts me.” said Chow.

His goal is never to simply to finish a race but to excel. Boston tested that, “I was just telling myself, I have put way too much into this, I have done way too much work, spent too much money, too much time, blood, sweat and tears to get to this point and not finish.” said Chow.

Chow finished Boston with a time of 3:16:32.

Chow starts his morning off with a run, getting up at around eight a.m to run before morning classes. He feels that it allows him to pay his health dues for the day so to speak, and then he can do what he wants, eat what he wants, for the rest of the day. Running in the morning makes everything else seem like small potatoes, Chow said.

Chow begins training for a marathon around 20 weeks before. There is the daily mileage which is to build up aerobic and anaerobic resiliency as well as resiliency One day a week is the long run which is to build endurance, usually  from 20-24 miles. 

People always tell him that 26.2 miles is an intimidating number, he doesn’t see it that way when put in perspective. “It’s hard but when you think of the 800-900 miles you run before that, 26.2 is a victory lap.” Chow said.

What drives him is the question of how far can he take his passion. “I think I’ve only scratched the surface of what I can do.” Chow said