WJI Times Observer

Second Projects

Adoption agencies: the shift from evaluators to partners in adoption

Lana Douglas

NEW YORK, NY – The smell of defecation was always present in the Vietnamese orphanage. A worker would come by occasionally to clean-up by splashing water across the floor. The orphans were let out of their cages twice a day to get fed.
Anti-human trafficking campaign sparks community response

Timothy Meinch

Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a new campaign Thursday that placed silhouetted figures at bus stops throughout New York City. His efforts are stirring a response in the community. These dark silhouettes on posters represent the tens of thousands of individuals illegally trafficked within the United States every year.
Bringing the butcher back

Adrienne Belz

NEW YORK CITY – In between strings of sausage Brent Young took a sip from a sparkly blue drink and firmly set the clear glass on the aluminum counter beside his sausage maker. He glanced up and smirked at me as I videotaped. "Hey, Adrienne, have a sip of that!" "What is it?" "Try it.
Catholic hospital closings plague the northeast

Catherine Rogers

NEW YORK CITY – On April 30, the third oldest hospital in New York City closed its doors after 160 years of service. As the result of years of financial struggle, St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection leaving not a single Catholic medical center in the area.
Controversy at Ground Zero

Alicia M. Cohn

A block away from the north tower of the World Trade Center, a Muslim group is building a community center. The location, 45 Park Place, is noted on any map of the area post-Sept. 11 as a site damaged by the falling landing gear from one of the hijacked planes.
E-books could alter the course of the publishing industry

Andrew Smith

NEW YORK CITY – Johann Gutenberg first printed a book on his printing press in 1452 – the famous Gutenberg Bible. Some joke that the second book was a tome about the end of the publishing industry. What were they going to do, now that anyone anywhere could be printed? Though the story is likely apocryphal, the parable gives an idea as to how mankind has responded to technological advances throughout history.
Fashion future starts now

Laura Vaillancourt

New York City -- After thousands of stitches and yards of fabric Niloufoar Mozafari and Dylan Taverner win the prestigious title of Parsons' Designers of the Year. Each year Parsons names their top designers for menswear, women's wear and kids wear. Past winners have included Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, and Tom Ford.
Immigrants hurdle language barrier with help of Cuban-Americans

Sarah Einselen

Holed up in an office in the Diamond District of Manhattan, Luis Iza laid aside his work with a diamond engagement ring to fill in the blanks on a worksheet of English vocabulary. He chatted and laughed with a client, as he got ready to leave his office, carrying the worksheet in his briefcase.
Kings and Queens Come Out to Play in New York City

Kirsten Hall

NEW YORK-- It is a typical day in Midtown Manhattan; sirens are blaring as bright yellow taxis whizz past busy pedestrians on their Bluetooths. Shoppers bump into oblivious children engrossed in their game boys and ipods, while the subway rumbles beneath their feet like some caged beast.
Manhattan nonprofit puts stimulus funds to use

Sarah Einselen

Felons are finding a way to become productive citizens again—thanks to a federally-funded jobs training program. Since receiving $440,803 from the federal government's stimulus funds, Episcopal Social Services has begun a program to provide green job training and job placement to individuals who have recently been released from New York State's penitentiary system.
Mayor Bloomberg’s aims for new laws

Kevin Bratcher

A proposed package of changes in New York City's gun laws has lit a fire under gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment rights groups. The changes are a part of the gun law reforms proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
NYC’s faithful give hope to victims of sex slave trade

Jonah Taylor

Christians in New York City are making a stand for freedom. Churches and faith-based organizations all over the city have dedicated themselves to helping victims of sex trafficking, a growing crime wave, in which 700,000 to 2 million people annually are trafficked across international borders worldwide, according to the U.
Out of the mainstream and into the underground – MUNY Artists

Hannah Yanega

NEW YORK CITY -- Late night concertgoers jolt to a stop on the Downtown R-train returning from Carnegie Hall. Still mesmerized by the climactic final notes of Beethoven's "Eroica" and the astounding following applause, the subway seems very quiet. When the train doors open and travelers step onto the station platform, a new music is already being performed – the orchestration of New York City.
Patients triaged based on condition, not age

April Windham

(NEW YORK CITY) — When parents take their children to the hospital or emergency room, they expect their children to be seen by a doctor as soon as possible, but sometimes they may not been seen as quickly as many parents would like. Hospitals and emergency rooms around the country are forced to make the decision of which patients should be admitted to the emergency room first, but when making a decision, where do children fit? According to Dr.
Preserving the Mirror of Culture: Anthology Film Archive Works to Keep Independent Film Alive

John Bianchi

Reams of celluloid line the hallways. Numerous obscure film magazines are piled on top of each other towering to the sky. This is preservation at work. Tucked away in Manhattan's Bowery district and housed in a converted courthouse structure stands Anthology Film Archives.
The currency of life

Trevor Normile

MANHATTAN NY-- The seasoned reporter was humble despite his bravery in Iraq. At 11:15 on a Monday evening, world class journalists are often doing one of two things, covering one story or resting up from another. The noise from the street was incessant, but was also probably much more peaceful than the gunfire and chaos he was used to.
The times may change, but folk music stays the same

Allison E. McLean

NEW YORK CITY – Shadowed between two short rows of the ivy-and grime-covered brick buildings along Cornelia St., folk musician Ray Korona sipped his wine on the café patio, sharing his memories and his music with any who would listen. Cornelia St.