Sometimes we forget that CUNY Journalism School is plopped down right in the middle of the biggest tourist attraction in the world. Like so many of my colleagues, I often block out the existence of all those pasty Middle Americans.

Every once in a while, it is nice to remember that they are actually people. Interesting people with stories, in fact. Enter Caroline Glaser and Aaron Nero. They are two lovely folks from Akron, Ohio and they make superconductor microscopes.

We Are Tourists, But We Also Make Microscopes

Glaser and Nero might just look like nondescript tourists, but they are actually pretty sophisticated folks. They both work for a company that makes high calibre microscopes for semiconductors. Yeah, I don’t get it either.

All The Fun Things We’ve Done in New York!

The duo have done a lot of fun things in New York. While most tourists would be worn out by this adventure, our intrepid travelers just wish they had a little more time.

What to Do With Our Last Night?

It is their last night in town and they can’t seem to figure out how to fill the final ours. I sent them to Jimmy’s Corner. I have a feeling they will enjoy all the boxing photos and Ohio-priced drinks.

The Hypnotic Beauty of Times Square at Night

And just in case you don’t get enough of the soothing sounds of Times Square during the work day, here’s a nice piece of ambient artistry to satisfy your craving.

Take 16,000 square feet, 2000 pounds of cranberries, twenty laborers, twelve hours of working, and throw them all together. Shake well. The result? OceanSpray’s seventh annual cranberry bog in Rockefeller Plaza.

Each year OceanSpray teams up with marketing companies Arnold Worldwide and Webber Shanwick to set up cranberry bogs across the country. The even began in Manhattan seven years ago and has since spread to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston.

“It’s a stunning harvest that stops you in your tracks,” said Cindy Taccini, spokeswoman for OceanSpray. “Some people aren’t as lucky to live in cranberry country, so we bring the bog to them.”

Cranberries are harvested mainly in the Northeast and Northwest of the United States. OceanSpray is a cooperative of seven hundred cranberry farmers with headquarters in Lakeville, Massachusetts. To convey the organization’s New England roots, Arnold Worldwide brought in antique farming equipment and several decorative plants indigenous to the northeastern US.

“We really wanted the whole setup to feel in harmony and for the cranberry environment to come across 360 degrees,” said John Raftery, director of brand experience at Arnold Worldwide.

The two-day event included several activities, including a raffle with a prize of eating in a pop-up restaurant erected in the bog. Hundreds of contestants entered for the twenty-five spots in the bog.

Some controversy erupted when the event organizers changed the raffle rules last minute. They dropped the requirement that raffle ticket holders had to be present when their named was called, giving groups a chance to phone their friends and invite them back to a spot in the pop-up restaurant.

“I really don’t think it’s fair because I’ve been waiting since 11 AM, and some of these people are just showing up and winning,” said Alberta Duperval, a home health aide in Manhattan.

The atmosphere was joyful overall, with raffle winners putting on their waders and standing in the bog with cranberries up to their knees, eating Asian fusion dishes by celebrity chef Ming Tsai. The food and non-alcoholic drinks served all contained cranberries in some way.

OceanSpray declined to reveal the cost of the bog’s set-up, with spokeswoman Taccini insisting the price tag was not important. “It’s worth it to us enough that we are showcasing this for the seventh time here in Rockefeller Plaza.”

Journalist Guia Del Prado, 25, talks about life as a call center supervisor at an AT&T tech support center in Reno, Nevada.

Melissa Noel’s Decisive Moment by Jeanie Ba
CUNY Graduate School of Journalism student Melissa Noel, 23, shares the experience that inspired her to become a journalist.

Joe Vaupotic, 22, sits on the ground with his legs crossed and a guitar in his lap in Zuccotti Park.  Next to him is his guitar case with a sign inside that states: “Been here since day one, need $ $ $ to go home.  Much love!”

Vaupotic, who is originally from New Jersey, has been at the park since the Occupy Wall Street movement began on September 13.  The 99 percent continues to gain strength, sparking other Occupy Wall Street movements in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston.  Yet for protestors like Vaupotic, the occupation has gone on for too long.

At first, Vaupotic was enamored by the cause against corporate greed that brought thousands of protestors to the park.  After a month spent camping out and playing his guitar, Vaupotic now realizes that it might be time to get back to his own reality.  He plans to get a job and move to Rochester. NY.

Why Vaupotic joined Occupy Wall Street by Jeanie Ba
Vaupotic says that it was his uncertainty about life and his frustration with the American system that lead him to Occupy Wall Street.

Vaupotic explains how he got into music by Jeanie Ba
Vaupotic sits on the ground with his legs crossed and his guitar resting on his knee. He says he taught himself how to play when he was in college.

Why Vaupotic is leaving Occupy Wall Street by Jeanie Ba
Vaupotic has been at Zuccotti Park since the movement began on September 17. Now, however, he believes it’s time for him to move on.

Vaupotic plays the guitar by Jeanie Ba
Ambi: Vaupotic plays his guitar in Zuccotti Park.

by Oulimata Ba

Local businessman Neal Curtis is the owner of the Retro Bar and Grill in Freeport, NY.  Though his business has been affected by the faltering economy, he still tries to give back by being an employer of young adults in need of a job.  Sharice White, one of his recent employees, is a bar tender.

On Thursday nights she can be found behind the bar leaning against the cash register with her arms folded across her chest.  She has adopted this relaxed pose because the place isn’t usually teeming with customers.

“I’m not sure if it even will be crowded later.  Last Thursday there were more people here,” White said.

White is a 25-year-old graduate student at Adelphi University.  Though Curtis provides her with a source of income, her work hours at Retro are never certain.

“The schedule here is so weird, I’m not even gonna say anything about it!” White said.

Still White is aware of her need for some type of employment, no matter how unpredictable it is for the time being.

“I intern during the day so I can’t work then,” White said, who is studying to become a social worker.  “I’m in school, which is why I’m here.”

A couple of hours had to be spent with Sharice to capture her drink making process due to a lack of customers buying drinks.

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