By Ahmed Jaradat

When hanging out with my friend Abdulsalam, he is usually quiet and reserved. Even when you converse with him,

he doesn’t give much of an opinion about anything, silence is his strength. However,

when talking about Islam his eyes seem to light up and he becomes fully engaged. You can just feel him radiating towards the subject.

Abdulsalam, his name means “slave of Allah,” or, “the peace,” which is one of Allah’s 99 names, was given the name Michael Deonarain at birth.

He was not always a Muslim. He converted to Islam in 2009. He was born a Hindu.

Abdusalam is a Junior a Hunter College. He is a History/Geography and Childhood Education major. He is 5’10, dark skinned with a buzz cut and fistful beard. When not in school he wears a black shirt that reaches his ankles, Islamic clothing that is called a “Thobe.”

He is 21 years old, yet his knowledge of Islam is greater than that of men double his age, even men who were born Muslim, including my self.

It’s for that reason he wants to become a teacher. Aside from wanting to teach children, Abdusalam gives Friday sermons at City College.

“I want everyone to learn what I learned, so they can establish their foundations to start practicing.

Thats the problems with muslims these days, they don’t practice.”

In his spare time, Abdusalam likes to read Islamic literature and general war history. “I love history.” Born and raised in Queens, Abdusalam loves his borough. “I lived there my whole life…there’s a large Muslim community.”

Prior to his conversion or reversion, his father had died, as excessive drinking gave him colon problems, which eventually gave out.Everyone in his family was shocked. He has only one older brother,

25 years of age and away at Stony Brook College trying to become a doctor, and a mother, whom he still lives with. Because of his father’s drinking,

Abdusalm said his relationship with him was not normal though it was all he knew.

His relation ship with his brother wasn’t that strong either, more so after his conversion to Islam.

It was his father’s death that started his path towards Islam, as he converted about a year after.”I started to ask why me? It’s something you hear on TV, it was like a dream…it hurt, it hurt, it really really hurt.”

Though his father was in the hospital he didn’t expect him to die. He described when his brother picked him up in a silver Mercedez Benz C class, driving near the Grand Central Parkway.

“I didn’t go to school that day, we were in the hospital the day before.

My brother picked me and told me Dad died. I just stood silent for a minute, I didn’t say anything.”

Seeing his father’s corpse in the morgue and funeral was pain he never experienced before.

His mother, who he said was bit hysterical after the father’s death, is someone who he is still close with, closer than his brother.

He said he had a lot of fights with his brother growing up and sometimes his brother would fight with his mom too.
However, Abdusalam said that there personalities are one in the same, which is something people always say he said. His brother has a shaven face which is in complete contrast to Abdusalam’s fully grown beard.

He said they both like to make people laugh, including each other though he said they have a sort of demented relationship.

“He would make fun of me being Muslim…when Osama Binladen died ,

he jumped out of the corner and said Osama! He said I’m sorry your leader died, you guys had a good run.”

His extended family is very large. He said he has problems with his uncles for being Muslim but his cousins are very supportive, as he still hangs out with them.

“Everytime we want to go somewhere, I keep my mouth shut but they always ask me where I want to go, I thought that was sweet”

Abdusalam doesn’t go to bars or clubs and prefers to eat food that is halal.

When it comes to the conflict with his uncles, he says it’s never direct though he knows they say things behind his back. Even before his conversion he knew his Hindu family had alot of animosity towards Muslims.

His uncles even had a problem with his mother having a Muslim name, Bibi.

In Highschool, Abdusalam said he was that kid that always craved attention.

“Our school was broken up into institutes, I was big on promoting my institute,

humanities…our Arch rivals were the theater and Pre-Med institutes.We wrote, “Pre-Med sucks more balls than pacman!”

They also did chants saying “Pre-Med-Swine Flu.”

Abdusalam loved high school and said Senior year was the best year of his life. However, in the summer of 2009 after his graduation,

things would drastically change for him.

“One of my friends was Muslim, his uncle came from Florida and he was big on converting people. I wasn’t interested at first,

and I wanted to be a nurse and I always wanted to help people. He told me about fasting, praying, Mecca but I wasn’t feeling

it but when he told me about Zakat. I liked it” Zakat, one of the 5 pillars of Islam, is an obligation upon Muslims to give two and half

percent of their savings every year to the poor.

“I was skeptical before and then I was convinced. If I’m gonna do it, I’m going to do it a 100 percent.” Abdusalam had told the man he would think about

it but he was told that he doesn’t know when he was going to die and that he should do it now, which made sense to him.

That night in front of the Islamic Circle of north America Mosque in

Queens, which he said is very famous and known as ICNA Masjid, he converted and made the Shahada.

The Shahada is the bearing witness that there is no God but God [Allah] and Muhammad is his messenger,

which is all that is required to become Muslim, though a fully practicing one would be called a believer. That night at Masjid, the man who showed him Islam, hugged him and

introduced him

to the brothers inside the Mosque, where he was greeted and embraced with hugs, given gifts, as well as taken out to eat.

“All I cared about was the truth” he said. Abdusalam said he lost alot of friends and during that summer and before he converted he said

“all we did was party, drink and smoke…I ditched my self away from that.”

He said he liked this lifestyle better and though he wasn’t necessarily sick of his old lifestyle.

“It felt more right to do it this way.” as far as the stigma surrounding Islam went, he didn’t believe any of it,

“I knew there was a small group of people that did not represent the entire thing”

Abdusalam didn’t sit anyone down and tell them that he became a Muslim but rather it began to reveal itself on its own, as he would carry a Quran and read Islam books all the time. “People just figured it and they asked and I told them.”

His Mom was actually happy for him, though to a point. “When I started practicing Sunna I caught alot of fitna.” Sunna means

Following the ways of the Prophet Muhammad,

which includes growing a beard, having your pants above your ankles,

wearing Islamic clothes, not touching women and doing voluntary fasts, among other things.

The main fitna he was catching though, was because of the beard. Fitna is an arabic word which means trials and tribulations.

He would get insulted even by his mother. She would call him a terrorist and stuff that he says got to him. His female friends,

said he looked smelly and like a bum, though he said he doesn’t know how someone can look smelly.

“So i felt ostracized with my friends, I felt lonely, I didn’t fit into the Masjid yet, I couldn’t connect. I made Dua [supplication]

to Allah for one of my friends to convert. Someone who I know that can go through the struggle with.” surely enough, his prayers where answered as his friend

Abdel Malek became a Muslim. Abdelmalek did indeed go through a struggle as his parents kicked him out of his house.

When I go through my own calamities, I look to Abdusalam for advice because I know he is God fearing and

though I have been a Muslim my whole life I have only been fully practicing for 3 years and he just became a Muslim, he is a source of inspiration because he embodies the cool mentality that is needed to sustain faith in a society that is divided by so many different cultures and mainstream outlets.

As far as dealing with stigmas and things like the beard, Abdusalam keeps it quiet. It doesn’t bother him anymore when people say or stare at him and it helps now because beards are trending.
“Allah made it easy for me.” Indeed I hope he makes it easier for us all. Amen.

By Yevgeniy Tarakhovsky

Today, New York City is one of the least polluted metropolitan areas in the world. Ironically, it is also the home of the third largest and one of the least known oil spills in the country.  After almost five decades of neglect, the oil spill of Greenpoint, Brooklyn is finally beginning to undergo major cleaning operations.

Over the decades, the spill yielded between 17 and 30 million gallons of oil, but because most of it was concentrated underground and away from view, the disaster was largely overlooked. But just because it is difficult to see, does not mean that it has gone unnoticed by the residents living in the area.

For years, Greenpoint residents complained of ‘strange’ smells coming from underground and a nearby creek where some of the oil flowed into. The smell, whose description ranged from that of benzene to “rotting garbage”, became especially prominent after heavy rain and during hot days, like in the summer.

As described by 43 year old Michael Bauller, “You need to be here in the summertime to truly appreciate the smell. When it gets bad enough, we don’t even open the windows.”

The delay in the cleaning operations was another concern for many Greenpoint residents. Bauller criticized the delays as well, saying that “they should have began cleaning this mess years ago instead of passing the buck to the next guy this whole time.”

The existence of the oil spill became known as early as 1950 following when dozens of manhole covers were propelled through the air after an explosion rocked the sewers. The incident left 3 people injured as well as damage to cars and buildings.

An investigation into the incident by New York City officials revealed that a gasoline leakage from Mobil’s Brooklyn refinery was the cause of the explosion. Mobil denied being responsible for the incident and virtually no other action was taken.

The oil leek continued to expand over the years until it was rediscovered in 1978 by the United States Coast Guard flying on a routine patrol. The plume of oil was seen on top of Newtown Creek; a small body of water that separates Greenpoint from Queens.

Another investigation followed shortly after, which tried to determine the extent of the damage. It revealed that 50 acres of land were contaminated by oil and other petroleum based chemicals.

Its origin was traced to Mobiloil, who was officially held responsible thereafter.

As part of the recovery effort, Mobil was tasked with installing recovery wells around the site, but because there was no set requirement to how much oil Mobil would have to clean and in what amount of time, the procedure offered slow relief.

It wasn’t until 2010; almost 30 years after the discovery, that the US Environmental Agency declared Newport Creek a superfund site and poured millions of dollars into the cleanup effort. Shortly after, large scale cleaning procedures began taking place.

This included ‘early action’ procedures, which attempted to find alternative sources for contaminated materials, as well as long term goals which include cleaning contaminated water and protecting ecological resources. The EPA also held public meetings and created a website (http://newtowncreekcag.wordpress.com/), which informed residents of current cleaning operations, possible hazards, water sampling results, etc.

Later that same year, ExxonMobile (which was derived from Mobil oil and Exxon), reached a settlement agreement to provide assistance in the cleanup of the oil spill and other related contamination’s which resulted from it. In addition, the company was charged a 25 million dollar fine that would be used for environmental projects throughout Greenpoint.

Just as recently as March, 2013, Exxon began creating monitoring wells and taking samples around the Creek.

The combined effort managed to clean up an estimated 10 million gallons of oil since 1978.

“It feels good to know that something is being done,” says 51 year old Anna Ristovskaya, “I still think that they [ExxonMobile] got off easy for avoiding this as long as they did. After such a long time, it could have hurt our health.”

Since the oil was saturated in Greenpoint for such a long time, many longtime residents began to fear that oil vapors from the soil may have impaired their health.

In one case Tom Sagg, a 61 year old activist and former police officer, claimed to have seen as many as 38 cases on a single block. “I had 20-25 people come down with cancer when I made the initial statement.” He went on, “then people started coming up to me: ‘Tommy, did you know I had cancer?’ Tommy, did you know I had cancer?’ “Now it’s up to 38 people”.

In 2009, the New York Department of Health conducted a study of the air quality in 50 Greenpoint homes for a Letter Health Consolation.

The report says that petroleum based products related to the Exxon/Mobile incident “are not expected to harm people’s health via the soil vapor.” To support these finding the report goes on to mention that the amounts of dangerous organic particles in the air were in the range “that we commonly find in the indoor air of homes unaffected by soil vapor intrusion.”

Furthermore, the data collected by the NY State department of Health also portrays an image different than what most would expect from an oil leak site; residents of Greenpoint were found to be at a 10% lower risk from cancer and 20% for asthma than the rest of the city.

However, the health debate is further complicated by other diseases and certain kinds of cancers. Out of the 30 health districts in New York, Greenpoint had the highest number of adult cases involving stomach cancer and second highest for leukemia.

By Joseph Savino

Most people are aware of the different kinds of printers available today: Laser, Inkjet, Thermal and even Solid Ink. It’s rare to find anyone in the U.S. that has never used one, but another type of printing has recently taken to the public by storm, and that is the 3D printer. But what exactly is a 3D printer?

How is a 3D printer so different from any other printer used today? Many of us know what 3D stands for (three dimensional movies have become a staple in the entertainment industry).  To understand it more clearly, imagine a normal printer which applies one layer of ink to a sheet printer paper creating a solid black square in the middle of the page.  Now, imagine layers of ink applied over and over to that first black square, all stacked up and compressed. After hundreds layers, The product would be a solid black cube.

This technology is fairly new to the public, and it is now available to the everyday consumer. MakerBot is a 3D printer company based out of Brooklyn and it is trying to bring the 3D printer into homes for more personal use.  The MakerBot Store was founded in 2009.  It is located on 298 Mulberry Street in downtown Manhattan.  Consumers have the chance to visit and watch the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer working live right at their leisure.  The product is about half the size of a mini-fridge.  The printer has a transparent outer casing to allow its casual passersby to observe its creations easily.  One, for example, is the four foot high multicolored plastic rocket ship hanging from the ceiling of the viewing window of the store.

“One of the most important things about the MakerBot Replicator 2 is that it cuts out the middle man,” said Amy, an employee at the MakerBot Store in New York City, who wishes her last name not be mentioned due to company policy.  The MakerBot Replicator 2 is the name of the most recent MakerBot product. Amy is trying to say that with her product, customers can make objects at their leisure right in their own homes.  For example, in the store, one can find objects like bracelets, rings, decorations, and toys.

Using software called MakerWare, consumers are able to make 3D imagination a reality.  They may need, however, a crash course in using the software and maintaining the printer, which conveniently is offered at the store numerous times throughout the week, but at a fee.

Along with these courses, one can find other events of sorts.  One of which includes weekly Saturday morning kid’s classes for ten dollars of, “educational fun,” as it states in the fliers.

“Arts and crafts will never be the same,” said a man in the store seeing the product for the first time in person. Amy believes that the product she works for is going to revolutionize the way children think: “Kids no longer are going to say ‘I want to make that,’ but instead are going to say ‘I’m going to make that.’” They can now, with a MakerBot.

The MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer is not cheap, but it is cost effective, according to Amy.  The machine costs $2,199.  The filament, or material used to create a 3D product, is available in red, green, yellow, and blue,  each color selling for $48. It contains a resolution capability of 100 microns, and it has a 410 cubic inch build volume. Difficult for some to comprehend, these statistics mean that an object can be made a little less than half the size of the printer itself, along with quite a high definition in detail.

Informational brochures on the MakerBot Replicator 2 stated that MakerBot is recognized as a global leader in desktop 3D printing. There are over 13,000 MakerBot Desktop 3D printers currently in use today. Also found in the brochure is that MakerBot has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Wired, The Colbert Report, Fast Company, Engadget, Make: Magazine, Rolling Stone, Time.com, IEEE Spectrum, CNN, Financial Times, NPR, Vogue Italia and many others.  The original MakerBot Replicator was named “Best Emerging Tech” at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The original MakerBot Replicator’s customer list includes many of the world’s most renowned prestigious names.  These include MIT, NASA, Mars Space Flight Facility, US Army, Yale University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Google, Pixil Inc., The New York Public Library, Libero Jewelers, Activision, Cornell University, and many other colleges and universities.

So, where to start?

Surprisingly, there are three ways to make an object “out of thin air” so to speak.  It’s up to the customer to choose either to download, scan, or design their 3D print-out.

If they choose to download, they must log onto the MakerBot website, thingiverse.com. There they have a choice to download thousands of objects right away from categories ranging from art all the way to design, and the downloads are free.  If they choose to scan an object, they will need to install programs onto their computers. The programs will enable the aid of either the iPhone app, Trimensional: Makerbot Edition, any digital photo device, the Kinect for Windows, or Xbox 360 to help configure the model into a printable object. If they choose to design an object, they will also need to download more software, but is advised to take a class given at the MakerBot Store if they want to be an expert at it.

SUNY Owsego junior Matthew Treglia has his own view on the consumer end of the product. He thinks recreational use of a 3D printer is “pretty stupid,” but he does think that if they can somehow improve the technology to a larger scale it may actually be useful. Little did he know, this technology has already been created. When told about this technology, Matthew’s face lit with excitement and approval, “Yeah, see, like that!”

By Cheriva Lambert

 

Riding boots are one of the “must have” items in a female’s closet.

Riding boots have been around for a long time but recently these types of boots have become the most seen foot wear this fall. They are three types of riding boots – knee high,over-the-knee boots, and ankle boots also known as “moto boots” because they usually have accessories on them.

Many women feel that ankle boots are a wonderful accessory for the spring. They come in several colors and heel heights with a wide range  of patterns and material. Generally, they begin a little over than your ankle.

Sharlene Francis, a college student now studying abroad, says her favorite type of boots is ankle boots. She continues by adding, “I like them because they’re cute and have many different styles. You can wear ankle boots with jeans, skirts or leggings, but they look cute either way.”

Perhaps many agree but some feel like ankle boots are a bit complicated when pairing them with jeans because the cuffs of the jeans ride up. On the contrary, this depends on the length and material of the boots.

Over the knee boots are typically worn during the winter. They cover more than half of your legs and keep your knees warm and safe from the icy temperatures. The term “riding boots” was originally used for horse back riding and polo.

Lashawn Simpson, a York College student says, “to me if not worn right they can make me look a little trashy and not classy and that can give someone the wrong impression of me, so I would rather not wear them.” Simpson says one day at the train station she spotted a female with over the knee boots which looked cute. However, the heel height of the boots was way too high so she could barely walk. No one likes wobbly ankles. So that is a lesson to all ladies, keep it nice and simple with a height you can handle, Simpson explains.

Knee high boots are recommended for the cold and rainy seasons for the simple fact that they cover your lower legs. If you have small ankles or a slim calf these boots will hide those flaws perfectly. It also protects your feet from the rain, snow and frosty wind. The low heel on this boot makes it very comfortable for anyone to wear and with pretty much any outfit.

A resident fashion expert named Amy Schlotthauer from the Merely Mothers website says “I think riding style boots have been around for a while; however, the recent boom in popularity I think started about three years ago.”

“Women of all ages wear them, which is probably why they are appealing. If I had to choose, I would they’re most popular amongst women in their twenties and thirties ” says Amy. Most popular colors are chestnut and black. “These colors are great because you can pair them with anything and you can pull them on with the simplest outfit or the most complex piece. I personally love wearing riding boots with a slim fit jean, shirt and blazer-style jacket along with a scarf. That is pretty much my weekend outfit,” says Amy.

“I think these boots are a hit for several reasons.” Amy continues, ”First, the low heel means they are likely comfortable.  Many women do not like wearing high heels and/or believe heels are not always practical for all lifestyles, so lower heeled options will have a broader reach. Second, I think the fact that riding boots go with a wide variety of outfits makes them appealing. Finally, there are SO many options, in a variety of colors and materials, at all price points available. You can get riding style boots almost anywhere!”

Riding boots can be found in any shoe store. However, quality boots are hard to find and the material of the boots itself is very much important. Boots over all can alter the way you feel and enhance your self confidence.

Simpson concludes, “I like ankle boots because they get to show off my legs and with the right outfit they are appropriate for work, but I love knee high boots because its more of a casual look, like with jeans or for when going out to eat with friends because I don’t want to look too dressed up. I mostly get my boots from Aldo but I don’t have a specific brand, it just depends on what looks cute and is affordable.”

 

By Sabrina B. Guillaume

Is it possibly that the cure for the creamy crack was right beneath our scalp this whole time. The natural hair movement has now become an epidemic, uniting woman of color to embrace the purist element of their being, natural beauty.

The press and curl, perm, and  the relaxer which is most popular creating the phrase creamy crack for those who accessibly use it. These  are just a few techniques on the undoubting list for hair care. A list that can go on for ages, but recently there hasn’t been a demand for it to expand. Instead of woman of color doing everything in their power to suppress what is naturally grown, they are letting it naturally flow.

The natural hair trend is greatly influenced by pop culture. Actress/Singer/Fashion Icon Solange Knowles has done the “Big Chop” (the cutting off of all chemically damaged or touched hair) in 2009. Sending off a buzz so radially and unavoidable that she even talked about her hair experience on Oprah’s couch. Knowles has even signed on to be a spokeswoman for Carol’s Daughter a natural hair product brand in April of 2011. Academy Award Nominee, Viola Davis has rocked her auburn fro for the majority of 2012’s award season and continues to do so. Musicians such as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and India Arie have been rocking their natural hair for years.

“Not everyone can handle being in their natural state” says Priscilla Chery, a steady naturalista for four years. “I became natural because I had no other choice. After getting my hair relaxed for years my hair follicles were screwed, they needed a break.” Chery like a large number of colored women has been relaxing her hair since childhood and plans to never go back to chemicals again. She exclaimed “If it’s not natural I don’t want to hear about it.”

The high demand on natural care has created a market that is dedicated to the need of the different textures  of natural hair. Carol’s Daughters, Miss Jesse’s, Kinky Curly, Shea Moisture, and many others are natural hair brands that are growing in this business such as Jass Product Line. JASS, representing Just A Simple Solution, a product line claiming to be the answer to so many naturlista’s prayers everywhere.

“The one thing that is different about our product line compared to many others is that we cater to such a large variety of hair textures” she says smiling while running her fingers through her hair. “We have clarifying, keratin, and peppermint treatments, which comes in the form of shampoo, conditioner, and serum. Name we got it” says Carly Jabouin a JASS representative.

A woman’s mane can say a great deal about her, and although they might have it all figured out, what is the opposite sex thinking? Yes men! Are they on the same page or are they completely oblivious to this trend on wearing your natural hair. Troy McCord a personal trainer says he has been seeing this trend for some time. “I think it’s cool, women actually aren’t that worried about sweating their hair out when working out” he said with a sense of relief. “You would be surprised about how many women who will not train to their full potential because they don’t want to ruin their hair.”

Some men just have a difficult time understanding the elements of hair care in general. So difficult comedian Chris Rock produced and stared in a documentary film in 2009 called Good Hair. This film goes over the controversy of what “good hair” actually means in the black community. Looking into many stories along with incite on the mass productivity on maintaining colored women’s hair and men’s view on it as well.

A man’s view on the general idea of hair can be entertaining. When breaking it down to their thoughts on natural hair can be warming, shocking, and even unpleasing. “My girl wears her hair natural and it amazes me how she needs nothing but what the most high gave her to exude beauty” says Stanley Toussaint.

Rapper Method Man expressed in February 2011 his views on natural hair on video saying “No. I don’t like peasy afros, sorry. I don’t like dreads either. I like a woman to get her hair did.” His view on natural hair began uproar in the black community that made his video and comments analyzed, criticized, and posted, on Necole Bitchie, World Star Hip Hop, Youtube, and countless other media site.

Whether if you’re rocking extensions, a chemical technique, or maybe something in between, this trend is spreading uncontrollably and there is no telling to when it will end. Women have their views on it, and men most certainly do too but this oh so natural phase might be here to stay.

 

 

 

 

 

By Justin Budde

 

Let’s face it, we’re usually scouring through magazines to see  the  current fashion trends celebrities are following.

It’s very common for us to model after a celebrity, and one feature that catches our eyes as being easily attainable is the color of their hair.

Hair coloring is a growing trend not just with women, but among men as well, and while celebrities have the luxury of having professional hairstylists help them to achieve the look they’re going for, the “Average Joe” doesn’t.

Although there is this desire for celebrity-looking hair, there isn’t the desire to pay celebrity prices, and often times, many will opt to color their hair at home. However, many aren’t aware of the possible hair crises one might encounter.

Aside from the obvious chemicals involved, there’s an actual science behind coloring hair. “One common misconception about coloring hair is that people see a box at the drug store, or a swatch at beauty supply store and they think that all they have to do is to apply it per the listed instructions and they’ll get the beautiful shade that’s promised…that is almost always never the case,” says Nicole Rasco, a local hair stylist at Great Clips located in New City, New York.

If you’re choosing the do-it-yourself route to coloring your hair than you might need to take a couple of things into consideration. What is your natural shade? Is your hair currently colored/is there any pre-existing color on your hair? What color are you trying to achieve?

These are all among many questions you must ask yourself before you begin to even think about coloring your hair at home. If you’re opting to do it yourself it’s because you’re trying to save money but if you disregard these factors you may end up paying more than initially intended.

So where do you begin with the hair coloring process? Well, you need to go out and buy the color, of course. If you speak to any professional, they will swear against the use of drug store “box dye”. Box dye promises to provide the consumer with a specific desired shade, but the end result of using any hair color is a product of the color that is being applied with the current color of your hair. For instance, if two girls, one brunette and one redhead, purchase a box dye in the same shade of sandy blonde, you will not be able to tell that the same color was used on both girls post-application.

Well if you can’t use “box dye” then what else is there? If you visit your local beauty supply, you can find products that are similar to the kind they use at professional salons. The only trick here is that you will need to know a little about tones and developers.

Colors are offered in different shades and tones. There are three different tonal pillars – ash, neutral, and warm. “Ash” will provide cooler results, “neutral” will provide natural-looking results, and “warm” will provide more golden/reddish results. For example: Dark Ash Blonde. “Dark Blonde” would be the shade and “Ash” would be the tone.

Developers are mixed with the dye to help activate the coloring process. Developers come in four levels – 10 volume, 20 volume, 30 volume, and 40 volume. “10 volume” is used when color is only being deposited onto the hair shaft to darken the hair. “20 volume” is used to deposit color and to lift the hair 1 level of lightness. “30 volume” is used to lift the hair 2 levels of lightness. “40 volume” is used to lift the hair 3 levels of lightness. Basically, the darker your hair, the higher volume developer you’ll need.

What if your hair has previous color in it? Depending on what your current color is and what color you’re trying to achieve, you may need to take some extra steps. If you’re planning to go darker than for the most part it shouldn’t be a problem, it’s when you want to go lighter that issues may arise.

One thing you should know is that color doesn’t lift color. What does this mean? For example, if you dye your hair jet black one day and decide that a month later you want to dye your hair a light caramel brown, you’re hair isn’t going to change colors just by throwing dye on top. You’ll need to strip the hair by bleaching it.

Bleach, in short, rids the hair of both natural and artificial color, and just like hair dye, will need to be mixed with a developer in order to work. A common mistake when working with bleach is people usually apply it to the root area first and work the product down the shaft but Rasco says that this will result in what professionals refer to as “hot roots”.

Generally speaking, applying heat helps speed up the process of any hair coloring process. So when working with something like bleach, you’ll want to start by applying the product to the mid-shafts and ends of your hair. The reason for this is that your roots will naturally process faster due to the heat from your scalp.

“A couple years back, my friend wanted to lighten the bottom layer of her [dark] hair so we went out and bought one of those ‘Born Blonde’ box dyes from the store. After we let it sit for like an hour, we washed it out and dried it and her roots were like near-platinum while her ends were still kind of darkish. It was horrible! We went out and bought another box and tried again and it just made it worse. We eventually had to go the salon and get it fixed which cost her a fortune!” says Kristin Morris, a student at Lehman College.

If you decide to color your hair at home, Rasco suggests that you do your research beforehand or you’ll end up with “a headache and an empty wallet!”

 

By Jeannette Villeda

John Jay College was originally named the College of Police Science, focusing solely in policing issues, it evolved into a school that would offer twenty-two majors, nine of which offer internships.

John Jay students are often unaware that the college offers credited internship opportunities as part of their major.

An academic internship course consists of an internship and a weekly seminar course. This is a way for faculty members to help students intern in a field of their interest as well as receive credits for it.

“Internships provide students with a valuable window into the working world,” Professor Monica Varsanyi recalled. “Some students have [even] been hired by their placement sites,” says Varsanyi as she described her first year teaching an academic internship course through the department of Political Science. She smiled so deeply that her eyes began to squint as she spoke delightfully about her experience teaching a course that included a required internship.

Some of the majors that offer internships are Criminal Justice (BS) (Institutional Theory and Practice), Law and Society (BA), Police Studies (BS) and Political Science (BA). The complete list can be found at http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/academics/622.php.

The internship courses offered through the different departments meet once a month in addition to the weekly seminar. The students attend a CUNY Forum which is televised through a CUNY program on cable channel 75. This event, held at The City University Graduate Center, discusses relevant topics in politics during the congregation, and things can get “a little heated,” as Sauceda recalls. There was an argument between a democrat and republican speaker. “They both turned red, I could almost see the smoke coming out of their ears,” Sauceda said before a smile emerged on her face, followed by light laughter.

The Political Science Department alone offers three internship courses that are worth more than most regular three credit courses.  The Seminar and Internship in New York City Government and Politics course offers six credits.

There are also internship opportunities offered with the New York State Assembly/Senate Session Program in Albany, which offers twelve credits through the Political Science Department.

Yannira Sauceda joined the New York City Council Office of Council member Debi Rose for her internship through the Political Science course 406. “I think it was good,” she said as excitement sparked in her face. “It gave me a good idea of New York City politics and perspectives of policy makers.” Her eyes widened before a grin took over her face and she said, “I loved it!”

In addition to meeting once a week, students are required to work 12 to 16 hours per week over a 14 week period during the semester in order to receive full credit for the course. Although there are additional internship opportunities offered by the Center for Career and Professional Development, alumni Jeremy Moseley said, “They register you for a course and just expect that you can find an internship placement on your own, it was difficult.”

The placements for students are chosen by the student and professor together while participating in an academic internship course offered through a major. “We have about 15 students take the class per semester, which makes for a nice intimate seminar-style classroom,” Varsanyi said. This is an unusually small class size for the large student body at John Jay.

According to Varsanyi, internship experiences provide “students with a variety of excellent opportunities: professional exploration and networking, as well as the ability to make connections between academic material and professional experiences.”

The departments that offer academic internships have a variety of connections with agencies throughout New York and neighboring areas and are able to place students in agencies that may be of interest to them. The New York City Law Department is an example of an agency that solely accepts John Jay students as interns.  “They get the job done and in general work harder than students from Ivy Leagues,” Attorney Development Coordinator John Campbell said when describing why he favors students from the CUNY school.

Varsanyi “absolutely recommend[s] students” to participate in academic internships courses.  “I run the class in a discussion-based format, and many students remark that they haven’t had this kind of classroom experience before. Discussions are very interactive and engaging.”

As the college continues to grow and more majors are offering academic internship opportunities, many students feel as though participating in an academic internship through their major is the best way to achieve academic as well as hands on experience in their desired field of interest.

 

 

By Adrian Cepeda

Headphones have become a staple in everyone’s lives, but everyone seems to be ignoring the consequences. Hearing loss is on the rise among teenagers and young adults due to the frequency of use and volume of the headphones.

According to the Journal of American Medical Association hearing loss in teens is “30% higher than it was in the ’80s and ’90s”. About 1 in 5 teens have suffered some degree of hearing loss due to loud exposures of music through headphones. That would add up to at least 6.5 million teens that have hearing loss.

In their data it also stated that hearing loss is more common “among boys than girls” and “teens from poor families are more likely to have hearing loss.”

A common misconception is the bigger the headphones, the worse the damage, but the opposite is true. The smaller ear buds, the ones that commonly come with the iPhone/iPod are incredibly more dangerous. While headphones are placed over the ears, earphones are placed directly in the ear canal.

Decibels are the standard unit used to measure the level of sound. The maximum volume of headphones are 110 decibels. To illustrate how loud that is, a rock concert usually measure in at about 110-120 decibels. Placing an ear bud directly in your ear bud is like having a rock concert in your ear.

Joe Karri from Brooklyn said, “It’s scary to know the consequences of having them on so loud. Sometimes I fall to sleep with them on. It’s so easy to get into it and shut off the world.”

The consequences of hearing loss does not stop there. In an interview with ABC News, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University Dr. Frank Lin stated, “With bad hearing, your brain has to allocate more of its resources to help with hearing at the expense of cognition.” This may lead to dementia over time.

But it all depends on the individual; those who are sensitive to hearing will have quicker and more extensive damage. The length of time also affects the amount of damage one can receive. There would be a drastic difference in damage when comparing a DJ to a person who only uses headphones while jogging no matter what the volume.

However, it does not only affect teens. The Archives of Internal Medicine stated 16% of American adults have suffered hearing loss due to high volume headphones. For those who are past the teenage years of their lives, it is still an issue. In addition to the regular hearing loss that comes with age, headphone use only speeds up the process.

An ear, nose and throat doctor in Queens Dr. Lisa Xing has seen the effects of this iPod generation. “I go to different schools to do monthly ear exams, and more than half of them fail at hearing the three highest frequencies,” Dr. Xing said. Whenever Dr. Xing sees children in her office with earphones she teaches them the dangers of maxing out the volume and makes sure they take them off while waiting. “It’s deafening the volume that they listen to music, a fire can happen and they won’t even know.”

The amount of noise in New York City does not help the situation. With taxis honking horns, planes flying overhead, trains rushing on the tracks and hordes of people on the streets. It gets extremely noisy causing people to raise up the volume on their headphones to “mask” it. But all it does is make it worse.

The process of “masking” causes the user to max out the volume to hear the music clearer and “cancel” out the noise from their surroundings. It is impossible to mask or cancel out noise, by maxing out the volume it increases the decibles and increases the damage done to the ear canal.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is known for his health stands and his next one is directly attacking hearing loss due to listening to music at high volumes. The campaign will raise awareness and warn teens and young adults about the danger of having high volumes on headphones.

“I wouldn’t mind the campaign. I hate those people who blast their headphones for no reason,” resident of the Upper East Side Karen Fitzgerald said. “There’s other people around, it’s my biggest pet peeve when I’m on the train. What makes people think that I want to listen to their music for hours on the train.”

To avoid or prevent any more hearing loss always listen to your music device below 70% volume, never max out the volume no matter how catchy the song is, and limit the amount of hours of listening through headphones.

Listening to headphones at more than 70% for more than an hour can cause permanent damage after five years.

“Karma will get you if you listen to your music too loud, when you’re older you won’t be able to hear a thing,” Dr. Xing warned those who refuse to lower the volume on their headphones.

By Keyunna Singleton

Some call it a trend while others call it a movement, but whatever the name more women are embracing their natural hair and ditching the process of relaxers.

There are roughly six steps to getting a relaxer and almost three times as many warnings on the box.  Although, the warnings are displayed to prevent damage and provide the best results, is the outcome worth the danger to the hair and scalp? Or is the natural alternative looking like a better choice?

With the help of popular black beauty brands releasing natural hair products such as Carol’s Daughter, with their Transitioning Movement line, and Dark and Lovely, which debut a commercial in March for their Au Naturale line, the choice is a lot easier to make. And natural is pushing for the lead. The change is sweeping the nation and modifying the perception of black beauty.

For Zelda Pauldon, who currently sports shoulder length dread locks, the transition of going natural took some time. In 2008, four years after deciding to stop relaxing her hair, she cut it three inches long, wiping out all the traces of her relaxers and began her dreading process in 2010. “I feel like I have more control over my hair and how it is treated and what goes into it,” says 24- year- old Pauldon. For some making the transition, it could also be a good conversation starter.

Pauldon recalled a time when she was on the train and was approached by a West Indian woman who showed interest in her locks. Before she knew it the women had a handful of her hair pressed against her nose and complementing its smell and softness. As freaked out as she was, she kindly answered the woman’s questions about how she cares for her hair, warning to “make sure it is something that you want to do and be prepared to cut your hair to some extent.”

To what extent may vary on the individual. In the 1960’s natural hair was big, not only politically but physically. Scholar and Black Activist, Angela Davis was known for her big afro. An article about her acquittal in the San Rafael shootout (1970) paid homage to her hair: “Her hair poufed up in a six-inch Afro that has made her instantly recognizable around the world.” Davis is known as a prominent activist in American history, her hair prompted a big afro movement during the 70’s. Social figures such as Marsha Hunt, Pam Grier, and Diana Ross all wore followed in the footsteps of Davis’s hair.

With current social figures rocking their natural curls, including fashionista Solange Knowles and musician Esperanza Spalding, it’s easy to mainstream the change.  However, some people are not sold that the switch is going to last.

Beauty stylist, Arielle Outlaw, sees celebrities as the cause for the admiration towards natural hair. “It’s a trend,” states Outlaw, “as long as celebrities are doing it then people are going to do it.”  Outlaw admits to thinking about going natural to express herself as a stylist. However, she decides it’s best she didn’t because “it’s expensive and I don’t have the patience.”

For Outlaw the idea of having a healthy scalp is desirable, but not at what it would cost her. Like Pauldon she defines natural hair as cutting out all of the perm and starting over. For others, such as fashion stylist Ashley Dalton, who recently chose to go natural, the definition is a bit different.   In an email interview Dalton states, “Natural hair is any follicle of hair that grows directly from the root of your head. It doesn’t matter if your hair is processed from the use of (Perm, Texturizers, Keratin treatment, Brazilian straightener, tex lax) or any other chemical processes. If it grows from your head then you are all natural in my book.”

Corporate America may still be having trouble fitting large afros, or long locks in their offices, but for colored women in America, natural hair is taking its place in their hearts.

For people questioning the transition, the best advice is to be prepared. Not only is the natural hair a physical change, but it’s a mental one. There needs to be a development of patience (especially if the combs start to break).

For some like Dalton the process is much easier, she suggests: “Do whatever makes you feel happy! Embrace, love and treat your natural hair with TLC.”

 

 

 

 

By Corrada Spatola

Spring is in the air and so is denim. College females throughout NYC can be seen sporting more denim than usual due to the fabric’s trendy yet affordable quality.

Denim has become increasingly popular throughout the fashion world and even more popular among college females.  This is due in part to denim’s unique and simple beauty, as well as its new variation in styles. Following the styles of what has been modeled on the runways is not the only reason why college females are wearing more denim.  It is also because denim is affordable ranging from about $15.99 to $39.99 at local retailers.

Walking down a crowded NYC street, one can see a girl wearing teal denim jeans with combat boots.  Turn to the left and you will see another girl carrying an accounting textbook as she is getting out of the train station wearing a leather jacket and a denim button down top underneath.

According to Vogue.com, denim is speaking to a much wider section of the population this year because it has been modeled on the runways recently not only as a pair of jeans, but beyond.  This versatile characteristic of denim, according to Vogue, is why so many young females are choosing this as their signature look for the spring and even the summer.

The rugged cotton material was originally invented in 1853 by Levi Strauss to be used as canvas tents.  Strauss later decided to make denim into pants, which were used by California miners as durable working pants.

In the 1980s and 1990s, stone-washed jeans became a popular fashion trend among young adults.  Although, this is not the denim that everyone sported in the 80s or 90s.

A stylish mother of two, forty-five year old Lina Sena, said, “I remember when all of the girls used to wear jeans with a matching jean jacket.”  Rocking dark jeans with a black trench coat and tan riding boots, she also said, “It was a must have outfit in the 80s and even 90s.  We used to wear jeans everyday and I’m starting to see more and more young girls wear them now.”

Various types of jeans, jackets, vests, and even shirts can be seen on the racks of every clothing store around NYC.  Denim is going beyond the standard blue shades and moving on to bright, neon colors.

Fashion blogger, Cory Bark, wrote that many different forms of denim will be popular this year although cropped jeans, tight denim jackets, and brightly colored denim will be the hottest types of denim clothing to buy this season.

According to a Mandee clothing store manager in Brooklyn, Danielle Balboni, denim sales have increased this year.  When asked what was the most popular denim item that the store has sold so far, she said, “The button down shirts have been selling like crazy.”

Denim is also a quick, easy, and comfortable way to look trendy for school.  Rocking a denim vest with a plaid shirt and a pair of dark jeans, 18-year-old Brooklyn College student, Carmela Marchica, said, “It is really easy to get up in the morning and look good for school by just throwing together a denim top with leggings and UGGs.”

As young female customers flocked Mandee picking up denim items such as vests, lace and stone-washed denim tops, and shredded denim jackets, Balboni said, “Denim comes in all kinds of different styles and colors for this season.”

Walking into almost any female clothing store in NYC, denim items can be found displayed throughout the store.  Rainbow, a clothing store that is always filled with teenage and college females because of its trendy and affordable merchandise, has walls covered from ceiling to floor with denim tops, pants, and jackets sold in blues, greens, reds, and yellows.

Being affordable is another reason why denim is so popular among young college students.  One does not have to spend $300 on a simple pair of jeans or a denim jacket.  A college student can walk out of a local retailer having bought a denim button down top and a pair of cropped jeans all for under $45.

Wearing teal jeans and a black top, Balboni also said that, “I’ve noticed that customers who are buying all of these denim items are college-aged girls and that’s probably because denim is affordable.  The denim we sell called, Ink, is extremely popular because the products start from $19 for a pair of jeans.”  Ink denim is also becoming popular because of its fashionable styles and colors such as ripped ankle biters to army green straight leg jeans.

Even though college females are choosing more denim for their spring wardrobe, it seems as though this trend will be heating up even more for the summer.  Denim vests with tube tops and light jean shorts were also displayed throughout Mandee and can also be seen pasted all over fashion blogs, paired vibrantly with neon tops.

Balboni said, “I think the jean shorts and cropped vests will be popular because many girls already bought them for spring break.”

Wearing a cropped denim button down jacket and maroon denim jeans with wedge sneakers, Kingsborough Community College student, Eliana Ilgiyayeva, stated, “I can see why a lot of girls at my school are wearing more denim now, because it looks casual and hot.”