King's Street

King’s Street was photographed on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in West Hempstead and King Street in Chappaqua.  Beyond the similarities in name, there are many attributes that link the two communities.  I have a vested interest in both of these communities because I live amongst the two of them.  After moving to Hempstead from Westchester for “higher learning,” I experienced, first hand, the different attributes that make up the two communities.

  

Only 44 miles separate these two New York communities, and yet these streets are poller opposites from one another.  Those who lived in West Hemspstead were hesitant to speak with me, but were still more receptive of my presence than the suburbanites in Chappaqua.  

In the end, my paradigm of community and family were shifted.

Julius did 16 years in prison, expressesd the need for the community to stop the violence.

Regular Sunday afternoon on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

These parents moved to Chappaqua for their kids to have a better life.

The typical mansion one can expect while frequenting King Street.

"Inspection" by Beth Laschever

New York Firefighters are some of the most respected individuals in this country.  These men and women possess bravery and honor that qualify them as heroes to us all.  As a resident of Holly Ave, it is comforting to know the East End Firehouse is located as the end of the block.  I wanted to get a glimpse into the lives of these noble people who service and protect our community. 

After reaching out the Department Chief, I was put in contact with ex-Captain Jeff, who was kind enough to take me on a tour of the Hempstead Fire Department.  Visiting the different stations and hearing the stories, I learned the importance of history of their units and the close family within the fire department.  From the twin towers figure on the dashboard to the artwork that decorates the trucks and stations, all these details revealed another level of personality within the uniform.  

This particular weekend was the Department’s annual inspection, where the Board of Trustees formally acknowledges the service and dedication of these men and women.  My time with Captain Jeff and the Hempstead Fire Department taught me about the bond of sacrifice and courage that holds firefighters together in unity.

Final Project-Couples by Kateleen Foy

For this series of photographs, my main objective is to capture the incredible diversity of love. I wanted to capture evidence of the bonds that unify two people. These images display a range of age, ethnicity, marriage status and sexual orientation, to demonstrate that love cannot be confined to superficial factors. I sought out couples from different stages of life as well as couples that differed in the length of time they have been together. The focus of the shots are on the personality of each couple, that is created by the combination of two people. Each pair expresses themselves in a different and unique way. With each couple, I aimed to capture a special intimate moment.

Michelle and Manu Met at the Hofstra club fair, Manu forgot Michelle’s name Anniversary January 21st They have been together for three months

Katie and Craig Met through playing club soccer at Hofstra Anniversary June 3rd They have been together for a year

Eleanor and Bob Met at church, for their first date they snuck into a book store to see Hilary Clinton Anniversary June 20th They have been together for nine years

Danny and Ricky Met through a friend at a club They have been together on and off, for a month

Cindy and Ed Met on an airplane to China Anniversary June 27th They have been together married for two years

Final Project-Insecurities by Shakera Robinson

With a project theme like this, it was pretty tricky on how I should go about it. For sure, this project helped me step out of my element and approach people I normally wouldn’t. I’ve learned that everyone has certain things they dislike about their appearance and wish they could fix. We all lack confidence with something whether it is physical or mental. Talking with friends and strangers, I’ve learned that a lot of their insecurities are such minor things to me but major problems to their everyday lives. Some worried about their weight, skin complexion, teeth, hair and many other features that I couldn’t see the problem. Doing this project made me realize how I am not the only person out there that worries about their appearance, no matter how minor the flaw to may be.

The Real Notebook

Six years ago my aunt had taken my grandmother and sister shopping.  On the way home she got lost and circled the same neighborhoods over and over.  A few days later she was diagnosed with dementia.  Up until two years ago my 75 year old uncle took care of her in their home.

She no longer recognizes anyone and can’t speak or eat on her own anymore.  Her food is a blended mess in a cup which doesn’t help her withering, bony body.  The once vivacious life of the party gone, replaced with a zombie.

            

 I shot her on the Alzheimer’s floor in Gracedale, a government sponsored home in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.  I captured the repetitive nature of her “life” and the important role my uncle still plays by visiting her every day at the same time.  This is the real Notebook, it’s not romanticized as Hollywood tries to portray it.  

Greek Life Cleansing

Being a part of Greek Life at any school is something of mystery to those looking on from the outside. The togas. The crafts. The paddles. The tradition. It seems like the culture surrounding the obvious traditions within each organization is not a topic covered by the mainstream. In this series I will investigate the different facets of Greek Life and how organizations exist within each other, with each other, and within the entire community itself. 

Here at Hofstra there is no Greek Row, there are no dauntingly huge letters atop five story houses with red solo cups and kegs strewn across the front yard. Here, in the heart of Hempstead, Greek life clings to one another. There are 20 organizations present that make up only 10 percent of the entire campus. However, every event, every fundraiser, and any gathering that occurs on the campus is somehow related or sponsored by all or at least one organization. So they cling to each other as Hofstra begins the process of scrubbing them out of this campus. They are a family. They live in small houses where they scatter their traditions and history atop every surface, because in their home Hofstra cannot scrub them out.

guidos in cowboy hats.

         I'm out of my element here in so many ways, a graduate student in an undergraduate class, an aspiring filmmaker among incredible photographers and a Southerner living in New York. Long Island is a far cry from down-home Dixie. In search of a taste of the lower economic country class of home. 

Country night at the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore is as close as it gets. Nowhere near capacity, the line dancing, two-stepping and PBR drinking locals are barely a familiar filler for my homesickness. Charming but lacking, I capture this themed atmosphere that was once a lifestyle for me. 

I am grateful for the efforts, but there's an inauthenticity that makes this already taboo trait of the area a bit more pathetic. The words to the songs blaring have little resemblance to the lives of the patrons. To me, that way of living is more than putting on a pair of boots once a week; I want the rednecks, I got guides in cowboy hats.