Reconect, Rebalance (A Trip to Hermit Island) – Looking back on a Magical High School Trip

For the past 35 years at Green Meadow, it has been a tradition that the senior class takes a week long trip to Hermit Island in Maine, as part of their Zoology block. Although students look forward to this trip from the beginning of High school, not much is said about what the trip is like or what to expect. Over the years, I heard a few things about Hermit Island; that there are messages left for future students to discover, beautiful beaches, and beautiful sunsets, and from this I imagined a campground that might be found in Harriman State Park in upstate New York, (I didn't know where the messages fit in). With this expectation in mind, I joined my class at 6:45am at the school and clambered on to the bus ready for the seven hour drive.

Abandoned Asylum

I have this weird obsession with old, abandoned, industrial, or hidden places, such as the subways (which is why I produced a multimedia story about them). I do not know why I am drawn to these places, but I know whenever I hear of a new location, or walk by an abandoned warehouse or building, I want to explore it.

The Closing of a Chapter

For our senior trip, my class went to enjoy the sunshine, clear water, and relaxation on the beaches of St. John in the Caribbean. Our agenda...relax, enjoy our last few days together as a class.

Cruz Bay from the Water

International Day of Yoga

June 21^st, 2003, Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, Douglas Stewart, a yogi and friend of Tompkins', and one other friend decided to do a few hours of yoga in Times Square to celebrate the summer solstice. 13 years later the UN declared June 21^st international day of yoga.

Exploring the New York City Subway System UPDATE: The Montague Tunnel

A few weeks ago I got my first opportunity to explore a New York City Subway tunnel. And when I say tunnel I don't mean a subway tunnel that runs under some street, although those are amazing too. No, I'm talking about the Montague tunnel (or tubes) which run from Manhattan to Brooklyn, under the East River. This tunnel has been closed for the past thirteen months for repairs from Hurricane Sandy. As construction draws to a close, Patrick Cashin, the MTA's photographer wanted to document the repairs before the tunnel reopened. Tagging along with Pat, I was able to shed light on one small part of the NY Transit system, a system which so many people take for granted, yet know so little about; the environment the commuters travel through as they go from one place to another. The many support systems that keep the subways running smoothly, and the safety systems which aid in passenger safety, all are there but largely unknown.

People's Climate March NYC

 Sunday, September 21^st 2014, Broadway and Columbus Circle, 11:30am, was the starting location of the People's Climate March, the largest march against climate change to date! Over 300,000 people turned out to show their support for this issue. In a peaceful march that wound through New York City, passing through some of the busiest sections of the city, Columbus Circle, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Port Authority, and the Javits Center, people demonstrated against fracking, the burning of fossil fuels, the need for clean air and water, and much more.

Exploring the New York City Subway System – Introduction

Over the next eight months, I am embarking on a journey every senior at the high school I attend goes on. This journey is our Senior Project, a final project we conduct independently before we graduate high school . For my Senior Project I chose to create a multimedia story about the New York City
Subway System. I want to tell a story through the three methods of storytelling in which I am focused; photography, filmmaking, and writing. Also, I want to explore something I have always been fascinated with but never explored in much depth.

Bleecker Street subway platform