WJI Times Observer

Pre Class Convergence Projects Article List

Covenant students Melissa Wise and Ashley Pierce perform a Colbie Callait song

Rain Poses No Threat for Festivities

Adrienne Belz

Despite a rainy start to the day, Covenant College's annual musical festival, Bakertree, swept up the campus in a flurry of activities this Saturday, April 17. Musicians found center stage in Covenant's cafeteria throughout the afternoon.

Campus Life At GCC (John Bianchi)

Their name is Valediction. On the quiet campus of Grove City College this small group of five individuals is slowly carving out a name for themselves as a hot new campus sensation as they look to hit it big in the music industry.

Fires That Burn to Protect (Kevin Bratcher)

The scene at the intersection of York Blvd. and Old Guelph Rd. is one you'd normally associate with disaster. Dead plants, scorch marks and burnt tree stumps mar what might otherwise have been a green patch of land. It's certainly not the sort of sight you'd immediately associate with a project aimed at plant life conservation.

Kansas City's First Fridays (Alicia Cohn)

With summer weather finally warming up Kansas City, it's time for art lovers and fans of the city to hit the streets. Every first Friday of the month year around provides an opportunity to discover new artists and new work in Kansas City, a tradition that takes place in the Crossroads District, the sprawling area surrounding the intersection of E.

Junior Amanda Carpenter studying on the Bryan lawn

Seniors of Bryan College leave their mark on the school (Lana Douglas)

The sun is shining brighter and as the temperature rises more Bryan students can be seen scattered around the college campus and Grassy Bowl with blankets and books. Next year when students return to school there may be an additional hot spot for students to enjoy their study time.

Students go to Wheeling to show “the love of God” (Sarah Einselen)

A group of students traveled to Wheeling, W. Va., on April 10 to follow a picketing group from Westboro Baptist Church and bring a different message to passersby. "In a peaceful, kind and loving way," the Mount Vernon Nazarene University students wanted "to counter the effects of the Westboro Baptist Church's message," said Jonathan Brown, the student leader of this trip.

An American Tragedy (Kirsten Hall)

Every social worker in the United States is familiar with the phrase, "from a broken home." It refers to growing up in a household where the parents are divorced or may not be living together in a stable relationship. Children and teens who are defined as "at-risk" may come from homes such as these and others simply do not have a healthy home life.

Balloons in the Bryan College Library for National Library Week.

The Vitality Of The Libraries To Society (Allison McLean)

"If you have a garden and a library, you have all you need," a quote by Cicero reads on the plasma screen at the entrance of the Bryan College Library (Dayton, Tenn.). This library happens to have both. All dressed up in balloons and "READ" posters, the Bryan College Library celebrates National Library Week with events and decorations meant to highlight the same importance that Cicero asserted.

A brushfire in Swannanoa burned three acres at the intersection of Briggs and Tunnel roads, threaten

Wildfire Burns Three Acres In East Asheville (Timothy M. Meinch )

A tree fell on a power line, the power line came down and set the woods on fire," Swannanoa Fire Chief Anthony Penlaand said. "With the houses involved, if we would have delayed it could have been a whole lot worse. The Swannanoa Fire Department arrived at Tunnel and Briggs roads moments after Reynolds Fire Chief Vince Carter and his crew around 7 p.

An ashtray next to a Campbell student's apartment

University Considering Smoking Ban, Students Divided (Trevor Normile)

Student-smokers at Campbell University have been on edge as of late due to the administration considering the option of banning all cigarette use on campus. According to www.tobaccofreecollegenc.com, a website dedicated to the reduction of smoking within the average college age group, North Carolina community colleges have the ability to ban smoking on their campuses.

A Look Inside Dormitory Life (Catherine Rogers)

Each year millions of high school graduates pack up their most essential belongings and head off to higher education. They leave behind their home, families and familiarity and venture into the unknown to live in dormitories full of complete strangers.

Convergence Project: Article (Andrew Smith)

Taylor Minor has the perfect Cedarville pedigree. He went to the local high school, helped his family start the popular diner "Beans ‘n Cream" and went to nearby Cedarville University for a year after seven years in the Marine corps.

Melissa Carpenter works alongside Habitat volunteers in the construction of her new house

A Carpenter’s Home (Jonah Taylor)

Melissa Carpenter's life-long dream is being built right before her very eyes. Since she was a child, she dreamed of owning her own home, a dream that was tested four and half years ago after one of the most catastrophic national disasters in American history.

Is Cutting Costs On Your Haircut Good? (Laura Vaillancourt)

As the stock market is slowly rising and recovering, many small privately owned neighborhood businesses are still trying to dig themselves out of the hole that the nations economic hit put them in. These privately owned businesses are now being forced to surrender to the large corporations and publicly traded companies that thrive on expensive marketing and annual revenue numbers the small owners' drool over.

Crossgates (April Windham)

After a tragic fire April 6 at Crossgates apartments, the Mississippi State University community has joined together to provide relief for the victims. Becky Wilkes, director of the Oktibbeha County Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the Red Cross is available to offer immediate help for the victims.

Public Things: Ryan Thompson’s Work with Glacial Erratics (Hannah Yanega)

The importance of context in relation to an artwork's meaning is one of the most widely debated subjects within the art community. Five artists in collaboration with Conrad Bakker created a gallery exhibit which challenged the very idea and defining terms of context.

First Projects

Artists return home after career move to NYC

Timothy M. Meinch

NEW YORK CITY—After a near three-year stay in New York City, two Asheville artists are coming home. Jason Weatherspoon and Lauren Gibbes helped start the Wedge studio alongside John Payne in the River Arts District after graduation from UNC Asheville in 2002.

Aspiring Athlete Draws Crowd With Freestyle Moves

Kevin Bratcher

NEW YORK CITY- At 34th and Broadway in Manhattan in late May, an athlete attracted a crowd with his acrobatic freestyle moves using a soccer ball. A South Korean immigrant known only by the initials "KBJ," this aspiring young performer demonstrated soccer moves using a free-styling approach that stuns passersby.

Barista school has more than coffee brewing

Trevor Normile

NEW YORK CITY--The craft of brewing a good cup of coffee is something many take for granted. Not TampTamp. Located on Mercer Street in Greenwich Village, TampTamp is one of the East Coast's only barista-training schools, and one of the premier programs in the country.

Cleveland’s classical pride journeys to house that music built

Hannah Yanega

NEW YORK CITY—Usually, one night stands are not bragging matters. For the Cleveland Orchestra's performance of Beethoven's Third at Carnegie Hall, the bragging should never cease. The Cleveland Orchestra is schedule to play Carnegie Hall Friday, May 21, as a part of their annual part in the "Great Orchestras" concert series.

Cyclists face new hazards, Are NYC’s streets safe for bike travel?

Cycling: The new way to commute

Lana Douglas

Take a bicycle to work. That's the message of Transportation Alternatives (TA) and the New York Department of Transportation (DOT). In New York City, Wiley Norvell, communications director at TA, says the goal is to get as many New Yorkers on their bikes as possible and today's National Bike to Work Day is just one of the means TA is using to achieve this goal.

Cyclists face new hazards, Are NYC’s streets safe for bike travel?

John Bianchi

With the economy taking a turn for the worse, more people are looking to bicycles as an alternative form of transportation in New York City. But is it safe? New York's city streets are a dangerous place and as more cyclists take to the pavement, riders face many challenges.

Donors uphold Operation Exodus

Adrienne Belz

NEW YORK CITY – Vianca Martinez, a 2nd grade girl at Operation Exodus, wants to be a science teacher for kids, a scientist, or a maid when she grows up. Martinez has liked all three of her years at Operation Exodus in Washington Heights. During snack time Martinez bounced around in her chair, slurping down some pink and lime green Trix yogurt.

‘Golden boy’ appeals to crowds after 30 years

Jonah S. Taylor

NEW YORK CITY—Nearly a month after his return to New York City, King Tut is still attracting crowds. Hundreds of people a day pour into the Discovery Times Square Exposition to see "King Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs." The New York showing, which began April 23, 2010 and ends January 2, 2011, is the first of its kind to visit the city in over 30 years.

IPad holds monopoly over still developing market

Allison E. McLean

NEW YORK CITY – After its debut in March, Apple consumers may wonder whether or not the new iPad is worth the $499 to $829 cost. The answer? It depends on whom you ask. Former Apple employee and enthusiast Winston Hearn said he wants to make the switch in the future but that the current model is not yet worth the price.

iPad sales remain strong

Alicia M. Cohn

New York City – Imagine the death of newsstands and the rebirth of newspapers. This scenario may be the light at the end of the tunnel for many in the struggling news industry. Until Apple launched the iPad last April, the market for offline digital newspapers was a matter of limited geek appeal.

King Tut, so what?

Laura Vaillancourt

NEW YORK CITY--The King Tutankhamun Exhibit, with more than 120 original artifacts from King Tut's tomb, has made its way to the Discovery Times Square Exposition with a steady flow of visitors. After 3,400 years people are still intrigued to learn about the Boy King.

Local company explores the art of coffee making

April Windham

NEW YORK CITY--Part-classroom, part-office, TampTamp barista training features three espresso machines and contemporary metal tables in a small basement in Greenwich Village. They are serious about a good cup of coffee. "Coffee preparation isn't easy.

Miracle for alternative transit on 34th Street

Sarah Einselen

NEW YORK CITY—All during weekday afternoons, pedestrians stand pressed against each other on Herald Square, with toes hanging off the curb, at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 34th Street. Two years from now, the city plans to close a road to traffic and eliminate the problem.

NYC commuters look to simpler travel options

Andrew Smith

NEW YORK CITY – Many New Yorkers are saving money on their daily commute by choosing cheaper modes of travel. According to a study by the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity released in March, most New York City residents choose to ride the subway, take a bus or just drive alone, rather than using the taxi system.

Successful media producer trades career for inner city education

Catherine Rogers

NEW YORK CITY – Thursday evening around 50 men and women dressed in their Sunday best gathered at the Dillon Gallery of art in Chelsea. At the private event, they sipped expensive wine and sampled finely made hors d'ouerves. They casually viewed the exhibit, but not just to be cultured.

Using history as a tool for social change

Kirsten Hall

NEW YORK CITY-- As a visitor walks into 108 Orchard St., the first thing she notices is the lingering odor of more than 100 years of impoverished immigrant families. They see the old mahogany banisters, worn to the bone, and the peeling burlap wallpaper, dripping down to the floor like seaweed.

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.

Children’s priority in emergency room waiting rooms image

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.

Third Projects

Federal stimulus money invested in small organization growth

Andrew Smith

NEW YORK CITY – Two New York-based youth programs are using federal stimulus dollars to teach students in the arts, including documentary videos and music. The Educational Video Center, Inc. and American Composers Orchestra – both in Manhattan – each received $50,000 in federal stimulus funds through the National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities.

Fleet Week Bonds Soldier and Civilian

John Bianchi

"The one thing I love about Fleet Week," Lance Corporal David Kihano said, "Is that we have an opportunity to give back to the public as they give back to us. They send us cards, give us handshakes and pay taxes." The 23rd annual New York Fleet Week kicked off this Wednesday May 26th, as New York City becomes the host of numerous seamen for a week of attractions and celebration.

Fleet Week brings military, civilians together for festivities

Hannah Yanega

NEW YORK CITY –United States Navy Fireman Katie Cockburn has finally gotten the chance to experience New York with her shipmates. She's in the city for Fleet Week, an event full of recognition and appreciation for those serving in the U.S Military.

Fleet Week shows off New York City, Coast Guard Silent Drill Team

Sarah Einselen

NEW YORK CITY—Erick Berrios is spending his first weekend in New York City mostly on board his ship, but he doesn't mind it. "I enjoy this," said Berrios, a Marine from Carolina, Puerto Rico, who is in New York City for the first time as part of Fleet Week.

“Helping our economy and our fellow humans- Stimulus dollars working for our future”

Kevin Bratcher

NEW YORK CITY- One New York City researcher is using federal stimulus dollars to battle the Nipah virus- a lethal bug in the same family as measles. Dr. Kevin J. Olival, a Senior Research Fellow working with Wildlife Trust, has traveled the world to study the seasonal outbreak of the Nipah virus and coordinate research.

Local business one of many waiting for federal assistance

Trevor Normile

MANHATTAN--Interactive Elements, a public transportation consulting firm, is one of many businesses in the Manhattan area in line to receive federal stimulus money from the federal government. The small company's has not received its funds and is currently feeling the brunt of complicated governmental procedure.

Making Books Sing, even louder

Laura Vaillancourt

New York City-- Making Books Sing is a non profit organization that combines musical theatre, books, and hands on activities to engage students of all ages in a unique learning experience. The cast of 20 teaching artists travel all over New York City to have in-depth theatre-making experiences.

NYC company spreads information nationwide about Recovery Act

April Windham

(NEW YORK CITY) -- A New York City company is working with the U.S. Government to help small businesses nationwide tap into federal funds available through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. North American Precis Syndicate is a service that distributes news articles for publications and broadcast to newspapers, radio stations and television stations across the county.

NYC cruise company requests $980,000

Timothy M. Meinch

NEW YORK CITY--World Yacht Inc. (WYI) helped the country during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, ferrying people across the Hudson. Now the company is requesting help from the government to bolster security on its property and boats. "We move about a million and a half people a year and we're trying to fix our infrastructure," said director of marine operations at WYI Gus Markou.

Renters aren’t roaches

Adrienne Belz

NEW YORK CITY – The roaches, mold, mushrooms, and leaky, sunken corners of her apartment make up just part of the problem in Ingrid Hernandez' home on the 400th block of Audubon Avenue in Washington Heights. "[The landlords] want to be very strict about us fulfilling our part of the contract – getting our payments in on time – but they don't give us the common courtesy to make sure their end is up to par," said Hernandez.

Soldiers thank New York for its Fleet Week welcome

Allison E. McLean

NEW YORK CITY – Marine Michael Porfidio relaxed in Times Square against a backdrop of thousands of civilians and soldiers who mingled in the streets for the annual Fleet Week celebration. All the smiles and handshakes made for a "warming experience," Porfidio said.

‘Son of Hamas’ visits New York

Alicia M. Cohn

At 17, Israeli soldiers snatched Mosab Hassan Yousef off the street. Held captive and tortured because he is the son of a leader of Hamas, Yousef said the experience gave him personal reasons to hate Israel on top of his cultural predisposition. But Yousef discussed his "crazy transformation" from hatred of Israel to work for the Israeli Security Agency and from Islam to Christianity at an event hosted by author Eric Metaxas in Manhattan on Thursday.

Stimulus grants stimulate nonprofit jobs

Jonah Taylor

When the economy began taking a downward spiral last year, it brought numerous businesses and organizations down with it. For many others, it threatened the existence of old and new jobs, especially those in the arts and humanities field. Women Make Movies, Incorporated, a film company established in 1972, was one of those organizations.

Stimulus money provides small help for art teacher program

Kirsten Hall

NEW YORK--Marquis Studios, a severely understaffed non-profit school art organization based in Brooklyn, New York, was awarded a $25,000 grant last July through the Arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 2009 to retain the project manager.

Stimulus money supports free form art

Catherine Rogers

NEW YORK CITY – Nato Thompson, the chief curator of Creative Time Inc., would not have a fulltime job if it weren't for federal stimulus money. Creative Time Inc. is an organization based in Manhattan that commissions and produces public art projects both in New York City and across the nation.

Uncle Sam’s stimulus grants benefits students

Lana Douglas

NEW YORK, NY – As students walk to and from class, Renata Silverio, a student worker is busy making copies and filing papers behind a closed door. Silverio, a senior at Technical Career Institutes' College of Technology, is just one of the students who earned a work study job last year.

Fourth Projects

Clothes Lined with Confidence

Laura Vaillancourt

Suiting thousands of women in business attire for their first day of work, Dress for Success is a non profit organization used to promote economic independence and career development for women to thrive in work and life. The company suits, accessorizes, develops careers, and lends advice to women of all backgrounds.

Fleet Week Attracts Veterans

Alicia M. Cohn

From May 26 to June 1, Pier 88 is the heart of Fleet Week in New York City, and the atmosphere of a festival takes over for the weekend of Memorial Day. Permanently docked at Pier 88 in Manhattan, the U.S.S. Intrepid became the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in 1982.

Glory in Acting

John Bianchi

If New York is the Capital of the world, Broadway is the capital of the Theatre industry. Every year millions of people attend Broadway shows. Shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Hair, and Mamma Mia have all seen multi performance success and each garner new fans every year.

Libraries fight funding crisis

Sarah Einselen

NEW YORK CITY—The city's libraries face a funding crisis. The New York Public Library system is confronting a $37 million funding cut in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed 2011 budget. The library system, which has long provided a number of free services to the New York community and to visiting patrons, will have to cut back on the programs it offers if the budget cuts are implemented, according to Jennifer Lam, senior press representative of the NYPL.

Memorial Day stickball tournament brings community together

April Windham

(NEW YORK CITY) – Every year, the stickball community joins together during Memorial Day weekend for the annual Steve Mercado Memorial Day Stickball Tournament in the Bronx. Teams from all over the country come to the tournament for a chance to win the championship.

New stadiums, new memories

Andrew Smith

NEW YORK CITY -- In 2009, a combined 131 years of New York baseball history were torn down and replaced. Both the Yankees and Mets – the two New York representatives in Major League Baseball – built expensive new stadiums over classic old ones.

New Yorkers disagree about 34th St. pedestrian plaza

Allison E. McLean

NEW YORK CITY – After he maneuvered around the Broadway pedestrian plazas, taxi driver Ashish Sharma said he is not convinced that the Department of Transportation has the right idea. New York City DOT has transformed Broadway Blvd. into pedestrian plazas, closing off vehicular traffic to make way for thousands of pedestrian commuters and visitors.

Pro-Palestinian activists protest Freedom Flotilla attacks

Jonah Taylor

Chants of "Free, free Palestine!" and "End the occupation now!" swept through Times Square in New York City Monday. Protesters gathered to show their outrage of the Israeli military's recent seize on a fleet of ships carrying more than 600 pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza that left nine dead and several wounded.

Rough economy doesn’t stop New York tourists

Trevor Normile

MANHATTAN NY --With the advent of industry and information technology, the world grew smaller and pulled New York City to its center- a pure gravitation of culture and ideas. Today, the bustling and incessant rivers of denizens and business people flowing through the streets are peppered with foam Statue of Liberty helmets or "I love New York" tee shirts.

“Small church offers change and hope for New York City’s people”

Kevin Bratcher

NEW YORK CITY- In New York City in downtown Manhattan, a small new church is bringing a new comprehensive evangelistic approach to the streets. Operating out of a small building situated only blocks away from Ground Zero, where construction is ongoing, the Messiah Reformed Church is working on building a foundation of its own.

Stories shared from generation to generation

Adrienne Belz

Thousands of soldiers aboard ships along the Hudson Bay in Manhattan mingled with citizens in New York and allowed civilians onto the ship during Fleet Week. On Memorial Day, floods of people filled the ships along the coast. Inside the vast vessel, the USS Iwo Jima, construction mechanic Ronald Obrien stood at a table and showed off the military's artillery by helping hoards of tourists in line handle them.

Street game reaches across the country

Catherine Rogers

NEW YORK CITY—The smell of traditional Latin food, the sound of good music and the sight of friends dancing and cheering are the pleasures you can experience every Sunday from April to August on Stickball Blvd. in the Bronx. All this centers around a street game called Stickball that culminated this past weekend as the New York Emperors Stickball League (NYESL) hosted its 26th annual Memorial Weekend Stickball Classic.

Street performers make a living

Timothy M. Meinch

Artists use crystal balls, acoustic guitars, full-body paint and other creative expressions to entertain on the streets of New York City, and for many of them, street performing earns a living. Despite the common perception, many street performers are neither homeless nor uneducated but trained professionals who take their job seriously and survive off of their skill.

Trying to Keep it Real in New York City

Kirsten Hall

NEW YORK-- "You like Chanel?" The first thing we hear coming out onto Canal Street in Soho. "You, come with me." the small Chinese woman said to us. We followed her to the corner and were directed to walk down the street and told someone else would approach us.

Urban Art – A movement towards graffiti evolution

Hannah Yanega

NEW YORK -- Gangs, spray paint and destructive intent; all the stigmas of graffiti in the big city. If artists Jordan Betten and Sun Bae have anything to do with it, the associated terms will soon be eradicated and replaced with just one: urban art. White faces look out from a teal wall on 10th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

Urban art: defacing or expressive

Lana Douglas

Graffiti is commonly viewed as a symbol of gang activity or vandalism. Graffiti can make people feel unsafe and a location where graffiti is present tends to look more run-down. However, graffiti is evolving into a skill known as urban art. Urban art is a new form of art that is showing up in cities, but it isn't making its début in galleries or museums.

Additional Projects

Preserving a Vital Species

John Bianchi

Founded in 1999, The Wolf Conservation Center of New York plays a key role in educating the public about wolves and restoring this endangered species to the wild. Since the early 1600s, humans have hunted and trapped wolves either from fear or simply for sport, causing the species to become virtually extinct in North America. This poses grave dangers for the environment since wolves play an integral role in the functioning of a healthy ecosystem.

Foundation For Economic Education

John Bianchi

Since 1946, the Foundation For Economic Education has carried the torch of liberty by educating students of all ages about the "freedom philosophy." Along with their own programs and events designed to promote and teach the ideas of liberty, FEE has also partnered with several smaller organizations to bring the messages of free-market economics to a growing crowd of followers. For FEE, education is the key to changing the hearts and minds of future generations.

History Comes Alive at Philipsburg Manor

John Bianchi

At Philipsburg Manor, history comes to life. Located in historic Sleepy Hollow, New York, Philipsburg Manor is one of the oldest national historic landmarks along the east coast. However, it is the history preserved at the manor and the story behind the buildings that truly represents a lost piece of American culture.

Environmental Education is Key To Avoiding Disaster

John Bianchi

Education is the key to success. For Beczak, a small non-profit environmental education center, education is the key to training future advocates of environmental issues. Crises, much like the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico can be avoided if future citizens and leaders are educated in ways to keep our planet healthy and safe.

Pilgrims in an Unholy Land

Kirsten Hall

After years of religious oppression, Communist China claims to have progressed since the days of Mao, so why are so many believers, particularly those in the Christian minority, still keeping underground? Today, the Chinese government is claiming that it has moved past the extreme atheism promoted during the Cultural Revolution, during which time all religions were deemed treasonous and a cultist attempt to undermine the state.

Spending the summer with horses and math

Adrienne Belz

Walker, Iowa -- Equestrian lessons and geometry homework are filling the summer for students at Cono Christian School.

As a small day and boarding school north of Walker, Cono offers a two-semester academic school year and closed the year with 55 boarding students. But this year the school added its first eight-week summer session. Five high school girls are attending.

Diners go back in time for Tea at Seven Springs

Allison E. McLean

In the suburb of Powder Springs in metro Atlanta, Ga., Tea at Seven Springs has broken away from the hubbub of modern culture to provide an old fashioned dining experience to a unique demographic. Inside an old, brick building on Marietta Street, fancy hats, flowers, lace and porcelain dishes array the quaint tea house and gift shop.

New York’s giant leap forward in educational options

Kevin Bratcher

NEW YORK--More options will soon be available for upwards of 80,000 for New York students over the next few years thanks to recently passed legislation in the State's House and Senate.

Immigration process in need of change

Kevin Bratcher

NEW YORK--Immigration forms the foundational backbone of the population of the U.S. Without immigration the United States would not have been colonized, nor would it have the wide variety of individuals and cultural expressions it has now.

Dancing apart, together: fifty years of dance revolution

Kevin Bratcher

NEW YORK--Say the name Chubby Checker-what comes to mind?

Building homes and helping wallets-and futures

Kevin Bratcher

If someone told you that you could buy a house and end up saving money and eliminating waste, you probably wouldn't believe them. However, that's precisely the idea home designer AmeriSus has in mind with its innovative new line of homes.

Little place, long history

Adrienne Belz

Quasqueton, Iowa--The new barbershop in Quasqueton buzzes with the latest town news of the half-finished water tower being built on the town's east edge. Here, half a century ago, the information exchanged just as fast and furiously: it was the town's telephone operator's office. Only recently did the town known as "Quasky" get a new hair parlor instead as one of the town's oldest buildings was torn down.

From Iowa Pastor to Midtown Manhattan Professor and American Citizen

Adrienne Belz

Iowa is real America, according to Dr. David Innes, a political science professor in New York City who once called Iowa home.