Abdul Moontarin entry #9

The weather is beautiful this week in New York. Yesterday, I decided to take my skateboard after 5 years and just ride around. Didn't think it would feel so relaxing. As I was riding down my local hill the wind starting rush through my hair and honestly it was the best feeling ever. I noticed how I missed skating so much. I really never learned how to do tricks but that didn't bother me. I just loved riding it. When I ride around my neighborhood with my skateboard I notice so many things. I get to appreciate how everything looks. From the buildings, to the trees. It just makes me appreciate everything around me even more. I'm definetly skating more this summer. It'll help me explore and look at New York in a better perspective.

KayJoon #6

Today (Sunday), I was in midtown with my parents and we remembered the flower show was going on at Macy’s, so we decided to drop by and check it out. Overall, it was pretty incredible, but I’m not going to spend a whole blog-post pretending to be a botanist; I appreciate the natural beauty of flowers and flower arranging is definitely a talent I admire, I would actually like to share my thoughts. Firstly, I think it’s awesome that a smidge of the wild is brought to NYC every year through a big name corporation, ironic, but awesome. While there are a few botanical gardens and parks around the city, our eyes don’t always get the chance to experience the beauty of other places unless we go to other places. I walked around the entire store thinking about how great it all was and how lucky we are even when we’re unlucky with living in a big, gray, city and then I heard that after the showcase period is over, all of the flowers get thrown out. Did that make me appreciate the flowers any less? No. But, did I somehow feel immoral smelling dying flowers that were on display in a store unnecessarily? Yes. Of course, these flowers were going to die anyway, but growing them for this purpose and forcing chemicals on to them to in order to last and, just the whole process of it in general seemed like a big waste. But then I got to think-who is all this for then if not for us to appreciate? Or, is there no ‘who’? It just is?

KayJoon # 5

Today (Saturday) I went for a hike. The weather was in my favor and I was visiting a friend away from the city anyway so I thought why not do a little exploring. I went to the Stateline lookout point in New Jersey, and in the photo I took; I’m looking back out at New York. It was a magnificent view-for the most part. I don’t want to take away from the day I was grateful to have, but let’s notice a few things in this photo. First, the color of the water. This is the Hudson River and what I know it as is brown murky-ness, while there’s a bit of a blue reflection from the sky, this water is no where near as vibrant as it could be. As I ventured out on one of the trails, I got bored, so I wondered a little off trail and closer to the ridge. I was excited and felt special that no one else would be around, but of course, someone had been there before, and they left their markings behind in articles of trash. I started to pick it up along the way and wished I had brought a few garbage bags and volunteers with me to do a cleanup. Seeing effects that were long put in to place before I got there wasn’t the greatest, but at the same time, I’m only one person-how much could I really do at this point?

Ximena, 8

While running to catch the bus that would take me to class on time I was distracted by two brand new recycling bins on the corner of 82nd Street and 37th Avenue (Jackson Heights). My eyes could not believe it. The garbage is hardly collected from the regular trash cans and now we had recycling tins?! Tall, silver, gorgeous bins one with a green top and the other with a blue top. Which means the chance to recycle cans, glass, bottles and also paper is no available to the people of Jackson Heights! At least those who walk on specific streets. I missed the bus so I just walked the rest of the way to the train station and the story does not stop there... I saw more of those tins all through 82nd Street and along Roosevelt Avenue.
 
I finally got myself to do some research on this and found out that last year Deputy mayor of Operations Caswell Holloway and Sanitation Commissioner John J Doherty reported the distribution of more than 4,000 newly redesigned public space recycling containers. Their design is supposed to be modern and "will better blend into the streetscape," uh one thing is for sure, they stand out. I was on the "Jackson Heights Beautification Group" page and I saw someone posted about seeing the bins as well so they are being noticed. This may be the last wave of bins to be distributed in the five boroughs as the article mentions that the DSNY (The City of New York Department of Sanitation) will place these on busy/commercial streets in the city up until the beginning of this year.

Lastly, I should mention that the silver bins are Bloomberg's effort to recycle more as a city and have less waste be sent out to landfills outside of the state.

Narmada Gobin, entry #9

I just love how beautiful the weather is gettinge. I can't wait for it to get even more warmer and sunny. It's nice when you can go outside without a jacket or scarf. The cold weather is so annoying. Wearing my sunflower dresses and flip flops are probably the most comfortable outfits you can ever put on. Letting your hair down, painting your nails in bright colors, and putting on fun sun glasses and just going out with your friends is what the warm weather calls for. The cold weather doesn't stop us from going out and being with our loved ones but for one, you can't be out for too long especially since you have to wear layers and layers of clothing. It's nice to go out to the beaches or the pool and relax underneath the sun. I love getting a nice tan even though I am a pretty tan complexion. I love everything about the warmer weather. I enjoy going for picnics and walks in the park. I love going to the west side of manhattan and taking strolls by the Hudson River and walks on the piers. Traveling to other cities is probably a much better trip when the weather is warmer. Dripping sweat is probably the downside of things but I don't mind. Once I can jump into a pool of water and cool off. I can't wait for Summer 2014. Especially since for one month, I will be in Spain.

Gabriella Grimes Entry #8

I think I'm going go along with Paul's entry about going outside for the last class. It's a little funny to me that in all the time spent in an English class with the theme of ecocentrism, we hadn't been outside until the last class and it was actually really fantastic. I saw a few people coming out of their shells even more and talking nonstop. It's just different being in a classroom setting than being outside. The weather was lovely as well which didn't hurt too much. Granted, I would have preferred if I had not chosen to sit down in front of a bush which attacked my hair every time I leaned back too far or the wind blew too hard, but the fresh air cleared my senses. Also it was a huge step up from the grossly warm classroom in the ten century old north building's cellar. I'm very excited and look forward to the trip to central park and it'll be nice to have class in another environment we haven't been in together yet. 

Also, I think it's safe to say spring is here, but the last couple of times I said this I got punched in the face with a dip in the weather. But hope springs eternal. (Get it? Because of spring? Haha I am so sorry.)

Paul Hunter Zaid #9

   InTouch

     My entry for this week is an observation that I made during our class session on the roof deck of Hunter College. In my opinion it was truly the first day of Spring weather-it was glorious! The sun was shining brightly and there was that slight chill in the air that was succumbing to the warmth of the sunshine. At first when I read the email regarding having class on the roof deck I thought to myself, "how would class outside differ from class inside?"
     As soon as our class had started to walk outside there was a slow breakdown of the old familiar classroom barriers, there was the starting of a real connection among our classmates. Next thing we were on the roof and forming our circle to conduct class. The first thing that popped into my head was how this environment would be too distracting with other students talking, the noisy sound of traffic and sirens blaring past on the streets down below. As soon as we started to analyze the essays I was surprised by how I was actually more in tune with the essay! The distractions of the city around me only enhanced the experience of the essays that were being read. I observed that my fellow classmates were more vocal in their opinions regarding the essays, perhaps it was the lack of the setting of a traditional classroom setting? Or the fact that being outside somehow allowed the readers to be immersed into the essays? 
     I'm confident that we each have our own reasoning for this experience. I know for myself that being outside truly made me connect with the essays and that the lack of a classroom setting allowed for me to connect more closely to the essays. So to Professor Bailey I say to you, "Kudos and what a great idea!"