New Yorker "millenials" unite against the NYPD's policies

                    The tragic death of Eric Garner was unfortunately viewed as horrific, yet typical by many who have grown up in poor neighborhoods in New York City. Minorities have long been the subject of unfair racial targeting and excessive aggression brought about by the hands of the NYPD. These communities have marched in the past and yet change has not come. We marched when Sean Bell was shot, yet change has not come. We are now marching for Eric Garner and still serious changes are not being considered or even vocalized. Mayor de Blasio and police chief Bratton have given conciliatory words, but neither of them have acknowledged that sweeping change needs to occur in the force. And for a second I will forsake everything I believe in to keep an open mind. Crime in New York City is at an all time low. Whether that is a result of the harsh policies brought in the 90s or demographic shifts or other unanticipated externalities (e.g. Freakonimcs famous abortion chapter) is the question nobody wants to answer. But it is the question that needs to be answered. There can no longer be a justification of the needless murder of minorities in the city. We cannot allow racial profiling to become the crux of our police force's tactics. Yet many whites in the city are content with just allowing the status quo to stay the same. Well it's time for meaningful change.
                   This meaningful change needs to come through evaluation of hard facts. For example, look at the NYCLU report on stop and frisk to see the ineffectiveness of an exorbitant amount of stops. Also, why is it that whites are suspected of engaging in crimes such as misdemeanors and drugs at a far lower rate than Latinos and Blacks. To assume that whites in the city are using less or are far more mature than their Black and Latino counterparts seems like a large oversight. The racial bias is clear and many a racist person in the city is ok with this. Most of the voices I hear shouting vehemently in support of the NYPD are white. It doesn't surprise me that this is the case. White people have no reason to fear the NYPD because the tactics being used don't racially target them. But to hastily frame this as a "racist white phenomena" would be premature. I have heard from many Latinos and Blacks themselves that they believe Blacks and Latinos deserve this extra scrutiny. Racism and self hatred is something that is embedded in the city. As I grew up I was taught to hate people like me. I was also taught to differentiate myself from them. There were "ghetto" Puerto Ricans and then there were those like me. What I didn't realize was that when others looked at me, they wouldn't see the difference. And then I realized further that was because there was no difference. We were both Puerto Rican; others thought of us as ghetto. One of us rejected the term, the other didn't bother to comment. Rooted in the city is a sense of knowing. We all think we are culturally competent to the point that we can make sweeping generalizations. And when a minority awkwardly laughs with you as you make a joke that clearly isn't funny, you are deluded into believing that you have gained access to a secret cultural capital that allows you to be racist. But to you it isn't racism. You think it's truth. You're wrong.
                  Racial progress is being made in New York. The new generation of New Yorkers aren't afraid to have serious conversations about race. We aren't afraid to proclaim our ignorance. We don't allow the racial poison that has been given to us by our parents and environment to affect our decisions. Instead we believe in a better New York City. One that doesn't include a police force that is trained to racially profile. This isn't a condemnation of the NYPD. It's an earnest call for reform. Teach cops that minorities are people. Tell them to check themselves when they feel their own racial biases kicking in. And make it clear that when your racial biases lead you to mistreat the people you are supposed to protect, then you will face significant penalties. This is the kind of language we need to see. Bill de Blasio and Bratton's doctrine of mutual understanding is not enough. 

Things they don't tell you about being an RA that you should know going in

I was an RA for two years, my second year serving as a leader for my staff and I can tell you that there's a lot of things they don't tell new RAs or people considering staff. Here are just a few things I think people should know about before joining.

1. You will most likely be put into situations that you have not been prepared for. Furthermore, you can potentially be reprimanded or fired for not following a protocol you weren't explicitly taught. -
       I've seen plenty of situations play out where residents did things that were ridiculous and the protocol for how to deal with it simply wasn't clear. The mantra in most buildings tends to be "when in doubt page up", but if it's a particularly busy night and the supervisor above you isn't responding, then it becomes your responsibility to deal with the situation as you see best. Veteran RAs know better than to let these situations fall on them, so typically they'll play everything on the side of caution. But a new RA, who is eager to make a positive impact on their residents and is committed to keeping their residents safe can easily get themselves involved in an incident that they can't handle. But Raymond what kind of incident would you be describing? There can be medical emergencies where the student refuses to take your advice ( which is always to call the ambulance). Any veteran RA would know to page up and if they did not receive any guidance because leadership is currently not around, then they would just call the ambulance themselves. Remember safety is paramount and choosing not to call could put that resident's life in danger.

2. You may be given unclear or mixed messages about how to enforce rules -
     Let's face it, different boss, different standards. I was fortunate to be in a building that played it by the books, but other buildings certainly were not like that. Also, your training in the beginning concerning rules and regulations could be completely ignored or even discouraged when the regular year came up. Typically this will have no negative bearing on you. If every RA looks the other way over a slightly giddy underage resident coming back at 1:30 am on your round, then you certainly won't be reported (unless your staff hates you). But let's say that giddy resident hurts themselves or has a medical emergency. If you were found to have engaged with that resident without enforcing a zero tolerance policy about drinking that could have possibly prevented injury, then you should expect serious repercussions. Strict rules are frustrating, but they can save you from putting residents' lives in danger and save you from risking your job. People may not like you on your staff, but oh well.

3. You may deal with incredibly difficult experiences (e.g. suicide ideation and sexual assault)
     This point is in no way meant to discourage new RAs. My training covered quite thoroughly how to deal with these scenarios, but no amount of training prepares you for the real thing. If you are committed to the job and truly care for your residents, then this should be something you are willing to take on. Your residents need to know that when you took this job, you are ready if any of them need you in this capacity. This does not mean you need to play the role of psychologist, best friend, and advocate (in fact for your own health and for theirs you shouldn't attempt to be any of those things). It means if your resident ever needs support you offer it and you connect them to the resources they need. Again this isn't meant to be discouraging, but realistic.

4. You may be on a staff that has a history of negative or bad RAs
      I've met horrible RAs. The one hallmark of a horrible RA is they tend to not realize how horrible they are at their job. When a staff has multiple horrible RAs, then you will find yourself fighting to do your job because often they will advocate for the bare minimum to be done at all times. The bare minimum extends to everything. No effort for residents and no effort for staff relations. As a new RA you may not feel comfortable calling out a veteran RA, but if they are honestly not doing their job, then feel free to do so. You can attempt to discuss it with your supervisor. If that doesn't work, then sometimes bringing up issues (don't target specific members, target specific behavior) in staff meetings may also be helpful. Often you'll feel that everyone is complicit with the poor behavior. I found that was not the case. Many RAs want to do a decent job and when they're prevented from accomplishing anything because everyone isn't willing to carry their own weight, then they are more than willing to apply some good old fashion pressure on their less than willing co-workers.

5. You may be on a staff that has bad leadership
   Bad leadership is just as bad as having a negative staff (possibly even worse). I don't have good ways of handling this situation. Often there are avenues to report leadership, but naturally housing protects their leadership positions, especially if your housing department has had difficulty filling out those positions in the past. You can try discussing it with your leadership in  a positive and respectful way, but often you'll find that bad leadership is also stubborn leadership. One way I dealt with bad leadership from other staffs is by simply ignoring their authority. At the point I was well versed in how procedures worked in housing and so I felt comfortable just ignoring the advice and suggestions coming from leadership that I found to be detrimental to my development as an RA. I was fortunate to have awesome leadership as an RA, but I have heard quite the opposite.

6. You may have no leadership whatsoever
People quit. Shit happens and expecting your lead RA to fill that gap is wrong. Lead RAs can only do so much. So when leadership quits, you'll need to make do. If you're new, feel free to go to your lead RA or another veteran RA for help. If you are a veteran RA, you honestly should step up.

7. You may have staff members who are not socially just
     It is typically taboo to call others out for not being socially just (you look like a pretentious asshole), but when a staff member clearly uses a racial slur or makes sexist get back to the kitchen jokes, you are often taken aback with pure disbelief because staff is the last place you would expect to hear that. Report them to leadership.

8. Staff doesn't write up Staff
    The most well known unspoken rule ever to exist is that staff members tend to not write each other up. There are plenty of reasons why. 1. Getting someone fired isn't cool. 2. If they don't get fired now you have someone on staff who hates you. 3. Everyone else on staff is now worried that you will write them up, sowing distrust in the staff. I always felt weird about this rule. As a lead RA it was never an issue because I tried hard to lead by example and most RAs were smart about what ever extra curricular activities they decided to partake in. But when I was a new RA, there were plenty of times when I wondered should residents even be seeing RAs like that. It feels weird. You're gonna feel uncomfortable. It's your choice on how to handle it. If you write up staff, I honestly wouldn't think any different of you. I believe every RA needs to make that choice for themselves.

9. There are moochers on every staff. Telling them to stop early typically saves headaches. If you don't then expect to be frustrated forever
 Self explanatory, if someone has you cover their shifts and don't repay the favor, then stop covering their shifts. Once everyone on staff has decided to ignore them, then they'll get the hint.

10. You residents actually do care and want to get to know you-
       You will hear that most residents don't care. That's absolute bullshit. Most people love talking about themselves. For those who aren't self absorbed, they tend to ask legitimate questions. Make yourself available, commit to getting to know them and maintain friendships.

I loved being an RA. It shaped my view on things and pushed me into the service commitment I am currently doing with Teach For America. Anyone who wants to be an RA, I suggest you do it. I just want you to be prepared for a level of dysfunction that may not seem apparent at first. Some tips

1. Stay positive- Once you give up (on your staff or your residents) they will give on you as well
2. Feel free to cry- staff can be stressful. Sometimes you want to be strong like the rest of them. That's bullshit. We all breakdown. The worst of them (me included) just do it in our rooms, alone, locked up, wishing you could tell someone.
3. Residents-RA is a two way street.
4. Staff can be staff or family, your choice
5. Use your unlimited meal plan while it last.

Rethinking the hot dog stand: Why what you think is NYC isn't

                                "I want a NYC bagel," my friend said when they first got off the plane. I threw them a strange look. A city with delicious cuisine from all around the world and the first thing you want is a bagel, come on. But NYC is apparently "famous" for their bagels. I wish I was given the memo. To me a bagel is a bagel, regardless if you get it from NYC or Bruegger's in Ann Arbor. If someone asked me to to tell them something that is quintessential NYC, the last thing I'd tell them is a bagel. So after we indulged in some high carb goodness at a local deli, the next culinary demand came. I want a Reuben from a Jewish Deli. I was so confused. I know Jewish Delis used to be famous in NYC, but now they are essentially a symbol of what NYC once was. So we went over to Kew Gardens and got him a Reuben. I ordered some Matzo Ball soup, which was delicious. After that we did some touristy crap: Time Square/Rockefeller Center/ South Street Seaport, take your pick. And finally it was time for some din-din (as he put it, while I rolled my eyes). He cleared his voice and then said with a serious demeanor, "I want alcohol." I shrugged and said let's go to the Lower East Side. He agreed and was giddy over the prospect of Boozing it up in the city, but before we could do that we needed some sort of sustenance because we were responsible adults after all. And that's when the final straw came. "Great, I can finally try an iconic NYC hot dog," he said thinking his culinary passport of the city finally had a foundation. "No," I said abruptly. "We will not waste money at a hotdog stand for what typically amounts to an underwhelming experience," I said with a stern look on my face. My friend, bewildered by my distaste for his "iconic" craving proceeded to buy three hot dogs anyways, at the tune of 3 dollars a dog. I walked a block down to a Halal cart and got a platter of Chicken, rice and salad  with a drink for 6 dollars. The rich hue of red over the tzatzki made the platter look more like the beginning of an artist's palette. His hot dog looked like a hotdog with mustard on it.
                         People come to NYC romanticizing a NYC that once was. They want to relive the authentic mom and pop Jewish delis that existed during the first big rush of immigrants. They want to enter a mob owned Pizza shop in Brooklyn, while forgetting to fold their slices and order garlic knots on the side. They want to enter an Irish pub and make believe that the owner is just a regular joe like them and not a rich landlord who has made a fortune serving martinis to wall street workers, while consistently raising the rent on their tenants' properties. NYC lore propagates an unspoken hierarchy of culture. I mean sure if you want you it, you can find it, but I don't see movies glorifying the NYC I know to be home. I don't see the Puerto Rican Day Parade (the largest parade in the city) as a center piece for movies. I don't see the Zagat rating some of the best Jamaican or West Indies food in the city. High class in NYC instead glorifies a city that doesn't exist anymore The remnants are there. I can still get a slice. I can still pass a Synagogue on my way to work. And you best believe soda bread was served to me as a young kid, but these "other" cultures, the ones that aren't glorified and mythologized as quintessential NY are what populated my life. It's time to we stop romanticizing NYC and start treating it for what it is.