The smell of freshly seasoned chicken and pork mingles with warm tortilla and spiced corn kabobs in the alleys of Jackson Heights, Queens, one of the…
FLUSHING, QUEENS — Wherever we turn these days, immigration is in the news. It has become a major issue in the United States Presidential campaign, in recent decisions of the Supreme Court and in the…
Following the daily routine of an early wakeup and sleepy breakfast, we convened in the lobby at 8:45 and leave a little after nine (although it feels like longer; everyone is still waking up). We walk to the subway, swipe our metro cards, and begin the lengthy subway ride to…
Today in the Big City course we set off on an hour long commute to Flushing, Queens. All I had ever heard about Flushing is that the U.S. Open takes place there. But aside from white outfits and neon balls there are strong communities in small and quiet areas of…
Writing the Big City traveled across Central Park on Thursday to learn from Amy Herman’s class “The Art of Perception.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to one of the largest collections of fine art in the world, and we…
Today was a cool, rainy day in the city, making it the perfect atmosphere for a morning in the classroom. After wrapping up breakfast around 9:15 a.m., our class got the opportunity to meet Liz Robbins, an…
As the midpoint of the program came upon us, we began our day slowly. After getting organized, we sat around the large conference table in McKeon Hall as Ari Goldman played us a gentle tune called “Plane Wreck at Los Gatos” by Woodie Guthrie. The song tells a story of a 1948 plane crash in…
There is a certain buzz that hangs in the hallways of The New York Times headquarters in Times Square. The smell of newspaper wafts through the airy rooms, and the staff all possess an intelligent aura. The words that leave this office will reach an audience of…
In a Harkness table fashion, the morning started off with meeting the head teacher Ari Goldman, professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Goldman introduced himself and began conversation with asking…