Big Day at the News

Yesterday was a busy, but fun, day at the News. I travelled across four boroughs and chased a bunch of stories. I have three shared by-lines in the paper today. Not bad, I think. 

It's a heat wave in April!

Two Killed in Weekend of Bronx Violence

Bronx man shot dead by accident as friend shows off gun

Also, I had enough pictures left from the first story to make a Coney Island slideshow:

*Update* Raw Video: GSOC Protest

Note: Journalism ethics prevent me, a GSOC/UAW member, from reporting on this event. So, I just pieced together some footage here for my personal blog. 

Early this afternoon a group of 60 New York University students met in the main floor of the Bobst library to protest the university's refusal to negotiate with the graduate student union. 

The GSOC/UAW union has been without a contract since 2005 when the NYU administration used a controversial National Labor Relations Board decision to no longer recognize its student employees as workers. 

To make things worse, the university is planning a drastic restructuring of funding for graduate school. The new plan, Financial Aid Restructuring 4 (FAR4), which has yet to be implemented but is getting closer to NYU President John Sexton's approval, will do the following:

1. Eliminate Dean Dissertation Fellowships
2. The reduction of the number of fellowships (students)
3. Elimination of ALL TEACHING ASSISTANT POSITIONS
4. The institution of unequal funding packages

5. Recklessly endanger the visa status of all international students 

For more information (there is a lot more to it than I wrote) go to GSOC/UAW's website, or email: gsocuaw@gmail.com

There were less people at the protest than last time, but considering the rain and tough schedule of students leading up to finals week, it went really well. 

The rough video below shows footage from the of the one hour, silent and peaceful, "work-in" protest. 

GSOC/UAW Work-In

GSOC/UAW, the graduate student union at NYU, is currently having a peaceful "work-in" protest in the first floor of Bobst Library. 

About 70-80 people are here. These are some photos.

Go, Yankees, Go!

When you're the biggest team in baseball, even a loss makes news.

After the New York Yankees suffered a devastating defeat of 22-4 against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, the media descended on Yankee Stadium for today's rematch. The New York papers had plastered their front pages with stories about the historic loss, but fans kept the faith.

"They will bounce back," said Deigo Duque, 32, of Stamford, Conn. before the game started. He watched the Yankees lose on Saturday from his home and was shocked. "I couldn't believe what I saw. That was disgraceful," said Duque. He hoped the Yankees would work on their pitching. Yankee pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, to say the least, had a bad game on Saturday.

Pitching was the main concern of fans. "They need to pitch better," said Jerry Cunningham, 63. "[Yesterday] was a horrible way for the Bronx Bombers to get bombed...but they will rebound today." Cunningham, who is originally from Brooklyn but now lives in Blandon, Pa., has been a Yankee fan for over 35 years. He used to frequent the old Yankee Stadium and was now at the new stadium for the first time.

The new Yankee Stadium opened on April 3 with an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs. The stadium is located directly across from the old one and cost $1.5 billion to erect. There is room for over 52,000 fans and today the stadium was nearly sold out.

"I came here a few weeks ago and was like a kid in a candy store," said Duque. "It's immaculate. It really is the cathedral of baseball right now."

As the the new stadium shined as brightly under the sun as any Uptown skyscraper, hoards of fans piled in. They came from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and, in the case of one man, from Fond-du-Lac, Wis. Donald Gorske, 55, who is known for appearing in the documentary Super Size Me as the guy who has ate over 23,000 McDonald's Big Macs, came to the stadium to support the Yankees...and eat a Big Mac.

"It was a fluke game," said Gorske of the Yankees' Saturday loss. "One game doesn't make the whole season." Gorske is currently writing a book about eating a Big Mac in every stadium in Major League Baseball.

Even one Indian fan was confident in the Yankees. "Yesterday was [Cleveland's] rare moment in the sun," said John Gontro, 57, originally from Cleveland but now living in Connecticut. "We don't have championships like New York...It was great while it lasted."

The game started slowly with only three runs scored in six innings - and they were all for the Indians. Yankee fans started to get nervous and hoped for a sign.

Remi Norris, an 11-year-old Asphalt Green soccer player, was nervous but still predicted a Yankee comeback. "They need A-Rod in there," said Remi. Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez is currently injured and will, most likely, miss most of the season. Remi's father, Jason Norris, 40, echoed his son's concern. "It just feels like something is missing out there," Norris said.

Then, in the seventh inning, Yankee catcher Jorge Posada hit a home run into right field. The ball flew into the wall, with Yankee fan Brian Doyle, 33, of Scotch Plains, N.J., obscuring the Indians' Trevor Crowe from catching it.

Doyle, who works in the technology department of an investment bank, said he knew he hit a glove - but he wasn't sure if it was Crowe's or the person next to him. The ball hit him on his left wrist, causing a large red welt. "I feel like I should have had it," Doyle said.

After a review from the umpires, the home run was ruled fair and from then on the Yankees' momentum powered them to a 7-3 victory over the Indians.

"They needed this win after yesterday's terrible loss," said Eli Frisehman, 15, of Monsey, N.Y. His friend, Ezra Rothenberg, 16, also of Monsey, said he was nervous when the Yankees were down by three. "When Posada hit the home run it was a turning point," he said.

The Yankees play another home game tomorrow against Oakland Athletics at 7:05 p.m.

Espanol

One of my articles got translated into Spanish! Pretty exciting stuff.

http://www.iconocast.com/B000000000000163_ES/B1/News4.htm

I have been meaning to learn how to speak/read Spanish for a couple years. Hopefully, I'll get that done in my lifetime.

* * *

Cyclone-rs Storm Coney

I was sent to Coney Island on Sunday to cover the opening on the Cyclone roller coaster. I had a great time and even rode the coaster. When I got back to the newsroom to write the story, everything just fell into place. The story was featured on pg.18 of Monday's Daily News issue - complete with a large image making it a full page story!

The picture above is from a trip my brother and I took to Coney Island last month.

Here is the story:

Hundreds of New Yorkers flocked to Coney Island Sunday to witness the historic Cyclone roller coaster crank back to life for the season.

Brooklyn's Angie Pontani - wearing a sash emblazoned Ms. Cyclone - grabbed the coveted spot in the first car for the coaster's 2009 debut.

"The first ride is always amazing," said Pontani, a 30-year-old burlesque dancer who donned a cocktail dress for the occasion. If you haven't [ridden] the Cyclone, you haven't lived."

The storied Cyclone debuted in 1927. The wooden coaster reaches speeds of up to 60 mph and is known as much for its 86-foot vertical drop as it is for its rough-and-tumble ride.

"Just when you think you can't take it anymore, it stops," said Rich Spettell, 44, of Flatbush, Brooklyn, who looked shaken by the fierce twists and turns.

The first 100 fans rode free yesterday - but those who followed coughed up $8 a ride.

Even with the beloved Astroland amusement park shuttered amid controversy, the Cyclone's opening day drew big crowds to the beachfront.

Entire families waited to ride the coaster under warm spring skies, the line for Nathan's Famous hot dogs stretched out of the restaurant, and the Boardwalk was packed with people staring wistfully at the Atlantic.

Read the rest of the story Here.