Everybody's the Goalie: An Interview with Shannon R.

The Siena College men’s basketball team was the center of attention at the Times Union Center as they beat Manhattan 69-65 on Thursday night, but on this Friday morning it was Shannon R. who took center stage. Shannon is the Director of Community Relations for the Albany River Rats who are part of Capital District Sports Inc. CDS Inc. also partially runs and operates the Albany Conquest, an Arena Football team. I sat down to talk to Shannon about herself in an empty Times Union Center. We talked in an empty office with glass walls on the second floor of the familiar arena.--John Urbanski

Where did you work before coming to the River Rats?
Actually, I was an intern here my last semester of college. The last game of the hockey season, we always have a block party outside, and I was assigned to work the speed pitch machine for the Diamond Dogs, the baseball team. The GM was here at that time and liked what how I was with the fans. He hired me on the spot to work their promotions on the field that summer.

When did you begin working with the River Rats?
The Diamond Dogs folded at the end of the summer, but the River Rats found out and they picked me up. Kind of like a player.

What organizations in the community do you plan events with?
We do a lot with youth hockey organizations where our players go to different youth hockey practices and teach the kids different skills they’ve learned; it helps the kids. The teams we visit then come out to our practices and our games.

Sounds great. Are there any other organizations you team up with in the community?
We do a lot; we have a reading program called “Reading with Rowdy,” where our platform is reading to promote literacy. March 2 is “Reading with Rowdy Day,” where all the kids who participated in the program come out to a game, we have custom made jerseys for that day and after the game we have a jersey auction, so all the jerseys the players are wearing are auctioned off and all the money goes straight to the Ronald McDonald House.

We did it last year and raised twenty to thirty thousand dollars.

If you had to compare your job to any hockey position, what would you compare it to?
I’d probably compare it to a center, because I handle all the community events, so the purpose in us going out to the community is to assist in all that we can, but also to let people know this is what we do. We want people to come to our games; we want to score by having them come to our games.

Who are you trying to score on?
Trying to score on? Everybody.

So everybody is the goalie?
Everybody, yeah everybody’s the goalie.

Do you ever get any crazy fans or people coming into your office or even at the games just kind of doing things you have to take care of?
A funny aspect of my job is, because I go out in the community, I want to wear some type of clothing that says where I’m from, so I have a personalized jersey that has my first name, “Shannon” on the back and I’ll be in the stands or wherever and people will come up and talk to you like they’re your best friend, it’s great though because that’s another way I can get to know the fans.

Sometimes you meet some pretty interesting people, you learn their life story. But that’s part of the gig.

Which name do you prefer: Times Union Center, Pepsi Arena, or the Knickerbocker Arena?
It’s not really which I prefer, but more of what I’m used to. I’d probably just say Pepsi. I know people who still call it the Knick, but people still call it the Pepsi too, so what can you do?

Do you live in Albany?
I’m originally from Rome, New York, but once I graduated from college I stayed in Albany and I live in Albany now. Albany is a great place. One day down the road when I have a family it’s a good place to raise a family. There’s so much to do and the education is great, I’ve enjoyed my time here.

What do you most enjoy about Albany?
I just love that it’s so close to New York City and close to Boston. I’m always traveling there for different Celtics or Mets games.

You must be happy about the Celtics this year.
I’m going to see them next Friday.

Who are they playing?
Timberwolves.

That’s a pretty good game to see with Kevin Garnett facing his old team.
Should be a good game.

Unfortunately I can’t agree with you with the Mets.
Yankee fan?

Yeah.
Sorry.

It’s all right. I apologize to you, you had a rough September.
We did, we did.

Air Force Vet Delivers Kindness: An Interview with Allen

Allen B. works at the VA Medical Center in Albany. He's an even-tempered veteran, with a hearty laugh and raspy voice. Allen works with my father. When I walk through the small waiting room past two patients, I spot Allen, finishing the last bite of his lunch. Greeting me with a smile, he directs me across the way to an absent co-worker’s office. On one of the buttercup- yellow walls hangs a painting of George Washington, and a colonial period thirteen- star flag, blowing in the wind. As I fumble with my tape recorder, Allen offers me the comfy chair and takes the one with less padding.

What military branch were you in?
I was in the Air Force. I was a Teletype Communications Specialist. We typed and sent messages from base to base. [Ambulance sirens wail] We typed and relayed military messages, some were classified and we had to encrypt them.

Oh really?
We had different processes of encryption. We had “confidential” to “eyes only.” It was: “confidential,” “secret,” “top secret,” and “eyes only.” You had to be cleared for it.

Being cleared, that sounds intense. How long did you serve in the Air Force?
Three years, eight months.

Three years in the Air Force, whoa. How did it change your life?
I quit high school when I was 17, and signed up for the Air Force. When I got there I was sent to Teletype Communications School. I learned all of the rules and regulations. You needed to type 40 words per minute in order to graduate which I did. It allowed me to learn a trade before, I only had delivery and after school jobs. I went from a teenager to being a responsible young man. It taught me how to get along different people.

Did you have experience interacting with different people when you were growing up? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in New York City. I was born in Warrenton, Georgia, and came to New York when I was five.

What were the differences?
We lived in the country, where everything was carefree, and there was a lot of space. We had fields, gardens, and we grew our own food. One of the things that struck me was the things I had to buy living in the city. [He starts laughing] I had to buy fruit and I was shocked, because I was like, I could have picked this myself! Everything is congested; people living on top of you, next to you. But I went from a segregated society to a non-segregated society. I never had experienced it because I was only five, but I knew it because of how people reacted. I remember my mother brought me on the bus when I was young, and I sat wherever I wanted to. I sat next to a white gentleman and he talked and laughed with me. I remember that because I was going against the, rule. But I didn’t care.

You said you knew the difference by how people reacted. What did you mean by that?
I would go back South when they were trying to desegregate schools and they would always ask me how I felt about going to school with white kids. I was like, there’s no difference. Eventually they desegregated schools and then, when I went back to visit, I wasn’t special anymore. [Laughs]

So was this the same feeling in the city?
There was never any real problem. In the city everyone stayed in their neighborhoods. You had black neighborhoods, Italians in the Italian neighborhood, Irish in the Irish neighborhood, and the Jewish in the Jewish neighborhoods; there were invisible boundaries. There were gangs, they would fight each other, but you could stop in the neighborhood if you knew someone.

Is the invisible boundary still there, or has it disappeared?
It seems to have gotten better, but it’s still not as outward as it was before. Generally it’s just the fear of something you have no knowledge of. We’re still fighting for true equality. People say it takes time. I’ve been hearing that since I was a little kid, and here it is 50 years later, and it’s the same thing. So how long is it going to take? People still use that as an excuse. As long as no one does anything detrimental to me or my family, I let it go.

Is there a motto that you live by?
Yes, I learned it very young from my parents: “Treat others like you want to be treated.” By treating people the way I want to be treated it’s like not burning bridges behind you. Then if you run into people 5 or 10 years down the road, they greet you with a smile on their face.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I can also get along with people that others can’t get along with. I’m always weary of people who force themselves on me, and I don’t force myself on anyone. Maybe reading people is my hidden talent.

An Actuary, an Underwriter, and a Marketing Rep are Driving in a Car: An Interview with Sara S.

The interview was done in my living room in Latham with my fiancé, Sara, on Monday night right after dinner at 8:00. We were both sitting on the couch with our legs crossed and facing one another. I was holding my notepad, and Sara was petting our fat, black cat Levvy, on her lap. Sara is 24 and has worked as an insurance underwriter in Albany for about two years. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and to most average people with decent vision she probably still makes the Top 20 list. Her stunning big blue eyes gaze into mine as she lovingly obliges to let me interview her. Her brown curly hair is up in a loose ponytail.

What are some of your responsibilities and tasks as an insurance underwriter?

I set the rates for large group health insurance. Um, I run corporate reports to evaluate the financial performance of the company, and I assess the risk of taking on a new group, based on the demographics of their population.

And in layman’s terms?

It means I’m a nerd. [Laughs] No, really, it means that I’m Ben Stiller from the movie Along Came Polly. Except that I assess risks for groups instead of individuals. And I’m cuter.

Yes you are. And what do you like about your nerdy job?

Everything. I love playing with the numbers. And it’s a good place to work. Um, I really, really like getting a paycheck every couple of weeks. [Levvy jumps off Sara’s lap onto the ground and runs away. Sara looks sad about his departure.] My boss is a really good guy, and the people I work with, for the most part, are good people. There are a lot of benefits with the company, little perks—they’re really good to their employees. But I really just enjoy the work itself.

Is there anything you don’t like?

Um, there’s this girl that sits behind me I can’t stand, but other than that, not really.

You sound disgustingly in love with your job—it must make your fiancé jealous. [laughs] Don’t you ever have bad days at work?

Of course, everyone does. If I argue with a particularly difficult marketing rep, I get frustrated sometimes. But even that’s kinda fun. I get to practice defending my point of view, and afterwards I get to come home and tell my awesome fiancée how well I stood up for myself.

What makes a marketing rep difficult?

The way the system works, the reps are rewarded for bringing in new groups, regardless of their quality. The underwriters then assess the groups to see if it’s financially responsible to insure them. So right off the bat, we have conflicting interests.

There’s a joke. An actuary, an underwriter, and a marketing rep are driving in a car. The marketing rep has his foot on the gas, the underwriter has his foot on the break, and the actuary is looking out the back window telling them here to go.

Actuary?

They’re the people who look at the past claims to predict the future ones. I guess it’s really only funny if you’re an underwriter. Ben Stiller’s character would appreciate it.

[Laughs]

[laughs] OK, so how frequently do you get what you would call a “difficult rep?”

I don’t know. They’re all a little difficult. I think the ones that really like stick out in my mind are probably like twice a month, and, they’re probably all the same person, it’s just how often we have encounters.

And however often you have those encounters is however often you come home angry, right?

[laughs] Pretty much.

You said that your boss is a good guy. What makes him a good boss?

Well he’s just a nice guy—a huge nerd, so we have a lot in common. He’s not the kind of boss who thinks your job is the only thing you have, and you’re religiously dedicated to the company and you’re there because you couldn’t imagine doing anything but spending every waking hour assessing risk and calculating premiums; he recognizes that there’s more to life, and he’s really understanding when it comes to stuff like taking time off or when personal stuff interferes with your work.

I mean, he expects you to get your work done, but he doesn’t micromanage; as long as it gets done, he’s cool. Plus he always makes sure that you’re constantly learning something, so work doesn’t become stagnant.

And what made you want to work there in the first place?

They offered me a job. I was outta work for a while, and I was pretty stoked, again, at the prospect of getting a paycheck.

Do you eventually want a different job?

Um, I would eventually like to advance in my career, but it could very well be in this field; it’s something that I enjoy. I may or may not decide to go elsewhere at some point but uh, for the time being, I’m gonna just stay where I am and work my way up.

I think that’s pretty much it.

Do you need more?

I don’t know.

You wanna push stop for a second?

[end]

Reformed Runaway: An Interview with Tirzah S.

Tirzah S. is a 32 year-old Carlisle, PA native, who works at J.Jill in Crossgates Mall. She’s 5’7, blonde hair, green eyes, and has a friendly and bubbly personality. Tirzah speaks very quickly, says “Yay!” a lot, and is extremely excitable and animated. She just got married on January 26th to her fiancé of almost a year, Pablo. They share a cozy apartment on Pinewood Avenue in Albany, along with an eight year-old pit bull and lab mix, Noah, and a cat, Libby. We sit on their huge green couch and talk about running away, being born cross-eyed, and Klondike bars.

Tirzah. So your name is Hebrew yes?
Yep. It’s from the First Book of Kings. It’s a city in the Bible. And it means pleasantness… ba dum bum ching!
Noah Dinkus! [she says this to her dog in a sing song way.]

Why do you call him that?
My friend Ben’s girlfriend, Jenn, is a teacher. Her kids had to introduce themselves and one of the kid’s names was Noah Dinkus. She used to say that to Noah.

Where were you born?
I was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

That’s C-a-r-l-i-l-e?
No there’s an s get with the program, duh!

Ooo so sorry! And you were born on?
January 30, 1976

You’re kinda old huh, haha!
Whatever, shut up! I’m a bi-centennial baby, yay!

What was your favorite subject in school?
English. I kinda sucked at school, but I was in Advanced Placement English classes.

What kind of person were you in high school if you had to categorize yourself?
I was kind of like the free spirit. I was friends with everyone. I had friends on the soccer team, the lacrosse team, track, and they were all friends with everyone, too. I would walk down the halls to go to the bathroom and wave by every classroom to all my friends and we would all meet in the hallway.

Were you a troublemaker?
I was for my parents. I got kicked out of my house my senior year and I lived with my friend Jessica and her mom Marti. I was supposed to go to my grandparents in Florida with my parents, but I went to a New Year’s party and never came home. When my dad came home, he told my mom I was to be out of the house.

I loved living with Jessica, and my mom would visit every once in a while and give Jessica’s mom money for taking care of me. Marti had to go to work before we had to be at school, so we would get up and act like we were going to school, but then once she left go back to bed and sleep and sleep.

I also used to run away a lot. I ran away for a day once to my friend’s house down the street. My dad saw me and dragged me down the sidewalk by the ear. I was a sophomore in high school… yeah.

I wasn’t into anything bad, but more like ‘I wanna do what I wanna do.’

Tell me about being born cross-eyed.
Well… I was born cross-eyed, my right eye, when I get tired, goes lazy sometimes and crosses in. I was 13 months old when I started wearing glasses.

How long have you lived in Albany?
I’ve lived in Albany, let me think for one moment please… February it’ll be two years, no in January… it’ll be two years… ooo we’re in January. It’s been two years.

What’s your favorite thing about Albany?
Reconnecting with Pablo, my fiancé.

What’s your least favorite thing about Albany?
It’s too city like for me. I like a smaller town feel.

What’s your favorite book?
Ooo, let me think… Nicholas Sparks, and granted he writes sappy stuff but I’m a sap, The Wedding. The husband was so heartfelt it made me bawl. I love it so.

What do you think of Britney Spears?
I just think she’s lost. She’s been in the spotlight her whole life. She’s one of those has-beens. Her parents wanted her fame, she’s a product of her parent’s fantasy. She’s sad.

If you had a million dollars?
I would buy you a house a real big mother fuckin’ house… it’s the Barenaked Ladies!

Ok, for serious though.
I would buy my parent’s house and I would get them out of debt. Donate a ton to a no-kill shelter.

What would you do for a Klondike bar?
[laughs, sings jingle] Yum yum yum yum yum! I would make monkey noises while doing jumping jacks! Or maybe squirrelly noises, that would be easier for me. I would do the running man but I don’t do that very well.

An Interview with a Relative of a Chinese Gang Member: Interview with Andrea P.

My next door neighbor, Andrea P., and I are sitting on my Mets blanket covered couch inside my sunny living room. We both live on Myrtle Avenue and have been neighbors for about six months. We have the radio station 106.9 on as background noise, but later turn to Californication on Showtime instead. Andrea is 24 years old and has quite a bit to say from smoking cigarettes, to spiders, to Showtime, to her interesting family heritage.

1. You are a medical student working at Albany Medical Center. Why do you smoke if you know what it does, and can actually see it everyday at work?

Well, I don’t really see the effects of smoking every day. It’s more like a few times a month. But I smoke because I am addicted, honestly. My goal is to quit when I finish med school, in another 3 years, but I’ve been cutting down on how much I smoke. Sort of weaning myself off them.

2. You said last week that you had an interesting family story. What’s the story?

On my dad’s side, I’m related to a few members of the Chinese-American gang the Hip Sing Tong. The gang was down in NYC and they had really violent and nasty wars with a few other gangs over control of Chinatown in the 1900s. Pretty interesting, huh? People always are amazed when I tell that story.

3. OH WOW! Is it okay that you’re telling me this? I don’t want to get hit when I’m so close to getting my degree!

[Laughs and puts her black hair into a ponytail] Hahaha, no no. I’ll only put out a hit if your parties are too rowdy! [Laughs again] I’m only teasing. My family has no record of anyone participating since the 1940’s.

4. Are you a big animal lover? Because I feel like you’ve talked to my dog more than you talk to me, which leads me to assume that you have a pet of your own.

[Laughs loudly] I LOVE animals. Dogs are my favorite, but I love all animals. The dog my family had when I was in high school, Shi (pronounced shy), is still alive. They live in NYC though, so I never get to see her.

5. So you even love spiders and creepy-crawly bugs?

[Shrinks up her face in disgust] Well, no. You got me there. I’m not afraid of them, though, like most girlie-girls. My roommates are terrible; they are such wussies. They once killed a huge spider with a Swiffer and then left it underneath the Swiffer bottom for me to clean up when I got home because they were too scared to touch it. [Rolls her eyes after the story is over]

6. Do you have any talents or unique skills?

I’m a good cook. I love to try new foods, but my favorite food is desserts! [Smiles wide and giggles.]

7. If I was visiting you here in Albany where would you take me? What would you make sure I saw?

I’d take you to Lark Street and South Pearl at nighttime for fun, and then maybe to the Park if the weather was nice. It if was raining I’d take you to the free museum downtown, but if it was snowing, we’d stay home and order food, because the snow sucks.

8. What is your favorite time of the year?

Summer. I love to swim.

9. And what’s your favorite TV show?

Weeds and Desperate Housewives. I can’t pick one over the other.

10. Did you hear that Showtime was thinking about putting their series on NBC? Do you think it’s a good idea? Would you watch the shows?

Really? I hadn’t heard about that! I don’t think I’d enjoy them as much. I mean, how can they air Weeds on a regular network? [Laughs] I’d probably watch the first or second of those episodes, but then lose interest.

One Man Who Can Do It All: Revised Interview with Matt

Matt, 22, has lived in Albany just over a year with his lovely girlfriend, Ashley. They never can be separated that while I interview Matt she sits next to him on their couch; she often comments things to say. Originally from Latham, Matt stands about 5’6 with brown hair. He is the typical man who moves out from his parent’s house while going to HVCC and working for Advanced Communication Services full-time and a waiter at Ralph’s Tavern part-time. Unlike other men who can’t live alone while going to school and working that end up moving back with parents. Matt has paid his bills on-time and gained his independence living on his own, but still has time do things he enjoys such as watching movies and of course spends time with his girlfriend.


Where did you grow up or live before Albany?

Latham.

Which do you feel is better your home town or Albany?

[Before Matt answers the question, Ashley says out loud that he likes Latham
because of his friends] Latham, because of my friends live there and it’s a nice
environment.

Are you taking classes this semester?

Just work for now, I took a semester off to pay the bills on time. And that’s why I
work two jobs. I plan to go back to school in 2009 at Hudson Valley Community
College and my major is when I was taking classes there is physical education.

What do you plan to do with your degree?

Well, I plan when I go back to change my major to business franchising to open up

new franchises like Sonics and [As Matt is thinking of a restaurant, Ashley says to him

“Papa John’s” and he adds] Papa John’s.

So you have a full-time job and a part-time job?

I work at ACS, Advanced Communication Services, answering the phone for

people with child support as my full-time job. At Ralph’s restaurant, I am a waiter part

time.

Ralph’s is a nice restaurant, how long have you worked there?

Seven years. It started as a high school job for money, but I decided I liked it

and became comfortable working here. [Looks at his girlfriend and smiles] Ashley

comes in here and brings her friends, so it’s not all bad.

One person on Dinesite.com reviewed the restaurant that the waitstaff were

above average, as part of the staff does that put more pressure on you to

maintain that level of performance?

I don’t believe so, since I work “above average.” [Ashley rolls her eyes at Matt as

he answers this question]

Ralph’s was built in the 1940’s during World War II, do you think it can last

another 50 or more years?

Yes. Because it is busy every night. Sometimes customers can’t even find a

seat to sit down to dinner. There will be lines or people will sit at the bar to get a

table to eat dinner, but they wait because they love the food. And they always come

back.

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside work and school?

I do like football when I play with my friends in good weather on Sundays

[Ashley adds that he hasn’t played football with his friends for weeks and Matt

replies that he and his friends stop playing in November until the weather gets

warmer] And I like all types of movies.

How do you manage all your time?

I concentrate on the first or most important thing in my day. Most of the time
it’s work. And then when I have free time, I hang out with my friends and my girlfriend.

THE GIZ:
An Interview with Ben G.


It is a quarter to ten at night as Ben, my coworker from Borders,, a local who commutes to SUNY enters my apartment. He’s one of the funniest guys I know with a dry sense of humor, standing at a height of five nine. “Hey” he says in his tired, deep voice, looking at me through glasses. He smells strongly of cigarettes and holds loosely a small coffee in one hand. We sit down on my box-like couch: I sit cross legged facing him, while he sits facing the wall with his baggy jacket on, hands resting on his knees, head turned to look at me while we speak.

I remember you telling me once that you were born in July. When specifically?
July 16, 1986. I’m on IMDB.

What?
[Ben strokes his beard]. My friend Joe makes really bad short films. Oddly enough, I was never in a film but I got credited. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1126008/]… [He is credited as a writer, a producer and an actor. His nickname is “The Giz,” he is 5’9 and in August 2003 he was working on a new movie called “The Cut.”]

That’s hilarious! Why are you on IMDB?
Joe’s a crazy fuck, a character. He’s always coming to me with crazy ideas that he starts and quits. He has a registered business. It was a newspaper and he only printed two issues.


I went to this meeting once about making downtown Albany better. I think it was actually at Saint Rose. Joe was totally hobnobbing at it, offering people ad space in this newspaper he doesn’t really write articles for. There was free food and champagne and Joe’s wearing a suit and I’m wearing kind of what I’m wearing now [looks down at his jeans] We sat at a conference table and Joe explained his business. Said I was a cartoonist and that this other kid was an editor. I dunno. I was there for the free booze and I was mildly drunk. I ducked out early, it was serious.

That’s pretty funny. You said that you’ve lived in Albany your entire life. What do you think of it?
I like Albany. My friends say it’s the kind of city that if you don’t leave here you won’t accomplish anything. I never felt that way.

Why?
My friends are in Albany. I know my way around. I like how it’s not one huge structure that goes on for miles. I do regret not going to a different school.

I think you told me you go to SUNY, right?
Yep.

Do you think it’d have been different?
I got by the skin of my nuts. My mom pushed me to go to college. I barely passed high school. Looking back on it now, I wish I had studied abroad. I want to travel now and I don’t really have the money and neither do my parents.

I see. How long have you been at Borders?
Year and a half probably.

Why Borders?
I got fired from Cumberland. It was a sting operation. I was distracted, working a ten hour shift, working two registers with Charlie and this total hot MILF came in. Then this kid came in and blended in the conversation while buying beer and by the time I rang him up I said “Fuck, are you 21?” The kid said no because he had to answer truthfully. I asked do you work for Cumberland or the Police? Kid said I can’t say anymore. I didn’t get arrested, but I had to pay $300 for a public defender who got it so I didn’t have to pay a fine. But I had to go to a drunk driving class. It was four hours long.

Boring?
Yeah. Really boring. That woman who has those billboards that say “celebrate life,” she came and I thought, driving while intoxicated. I wasn’t driving. And that was June 6th 2006.

Wait. How did you find out about Borders?
[Pauses] Oh yeah. I went to Wolf Road and they gave me an application online. I didn’t realize the interview was for Crossgates until the end the of interview. And then I got the job.

Gonna stay?
Yeah. I like the job. A lot of people want to leave but I like my job. Plus I’m too lazy to leave.

Did you have fun with this interview? [Ben is playing with a chewed maroon toy mouse with no tail or ears]
I didn’t know what it would be like but I thought it would be cool to be interviewed. Because who doesn’t like to talk about themselves?

A Purple Handprint on a Blue T-shirt: An Interview with Sue M.

I arrive at the Balloon Classroom around 12:30pm, the students who attend the half-day Capital District Beginnings Preschool Program at The Children’s Place in the Empire State Plaza have just headed home. Having worked in the classroom as a student speech pathologist for the past few months, I know the scene well: the classroom is in disarray, having taken a heavy beating by busy-bodied toddlers all morning. Sue M., the head classroom teacher, is wearing the sign of a rough day on her shoulder—a child’s purple handprint on her blue t-shirt. Debbie, a classroom aide, attempts to scrape random specks of food from the tables and chairs. After a half an hour, things finally settle down, and we find our seats on the floor of the reading carpet.

I’ve been here a few times, and you are always busy. What are your actual job responsibilities?

Oh my god. Planning programs, working towards meeting each child’s goals, planning lessons, coordinating services, supervising assistance, behavioral intervention responsibilities. I guess that’s most of what I do, in very general terms.

How long have you worked for Capital District Beginnings?

I’ve worked for Capital District Beginnings for, oh, 21 years.

You’ve been working for beginnings since I was born.

[Debbie, still busy cleaning the classroom, laughs] [Sue laughs] I knew I was old, but yeah, I guess I started for Beginnings in September of 1987. So 21 years. Wow.

With all those years in this field, what have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of this job?

I love just seeing progress. It’s cliché, but I just love when you see the light bulb switch on, and the child all of a sudden gets it.

Also the gratitude of the parents, they are so thankful for everything we do, and all the growth they see in their children. When I see that, I know I am doing the right thing. It’s very rewarding.

I can understand that. Seeing the progress some of the children made just first semester was very rewarding for me, especially for my first experience in this setting.

I think that’s why so many of us can come back every day, year after year, and do this.

What’s the most disappointing aspect of this job?

I think it is very difficult when parents don’t get involved, or when they don’t carry over the learning that’s going on in here, into their homes. It makes you think, sometimes: Why do I bother?

Why did you choose to work in the setting you are currently working in? Why a self-contained room?

Call me crazy, but I like children with severe disabilities and behavioral issues. It’s hard, and challenging, but it’s what I love. I probably am crazy.

[Debbie laughs: Aren’t we all?]

I like being in charge of my room, and setting up my own team and really being able to do what I want to with the children.

With all your experience, I am sure you have great advice to offer. What would you tell someone just entering this job field?

[Debbie jokes: Run!]

[Sue laughs:] Run fast and don’t look back! No, no, you have to love it. The kids will know; it’s hard to come here every day if you don’t really love the job and the kids. Some days are better than others. But you really have to love it.

Hence the purple handprint?

Exactly.

What is the craziest thing you’ve seen in your time as a special education teacher in Albany?

Oh my god. That’s so hard. Well, just the other day I went on a home visit, and I went to get out of my car and there’s this large group of men standing in front of the building I needed to go in. As I tried towards the door, a fight broke out and a knife was pulled. You just think: How can you blame the kid for his behavioral problems when this is happening right here?

Wow. That is insane.

You see it all, and after a while it’s not even that crazy, you don’t even think about it as being something absurd, it’s just another day.

How does being in the State Plaza buildings affect you as a teacher?

Oh I love being here. It’s on the bus routes—so their parents can come and visit the classroom and their children. It’s nice to be able to get the kids out in their community. We can go to their firehouse, we can go to the food store that their parents shop in, we can get them exposed to these social settings. Many of their parents don’t take them out with them, because of behavioral problems, so this is definitely nice. We have access to so many things—the museum, McDonald’s, a post office, craft shows, car shows, all these great things and we don’t even have to leave the building.

Is it hard to say goodbye to these kids that you’ve had in your classroom for several years? Or are you sometimes, honestly, happy to see them move on?

Wow, great question. The first few years, it was devastating. Now I know that my life wouldn’t be the same had I not had some of these children in my classroom, I cannot imagine my life without them in it. But you know when it is their time to leave. It’s not as hard to let them go, when you know that they’ve changed you.

I had a hard time just leaving for the winter break—I missed the kids a lot. I hadn’t expected that.

Aren’t they little buggers like that?

Interviewed, Edited and Condensed by Morgan E. Schutz

Saving Lives, Lifting Weights, & Even Dealing with People’s Private Parts: This Very Well Could Be My Future Sister- An Interview with Rachel

Rachel is a 23- year- old pharmacy student who graduates from Albany School of Pharmacy in May. She stands about 5'4 and has long blonde hair with big blue eyes. She is originally from Syracuse and has lived in Albany for the past six years. She sat down with me Winthrop Ave, where she lives with my brother Kevin, to talk to me about nutsacks, power lifting, and helping to save lives. We sit in the living room as Rachel is sitting and playing with my puppy, Roxie who is an energetic eight month old Puggle. The way that we get along and how she interacts with Roxie many would guess she already is part of the family.

What brought you to Albany?
Pharmacy School, it was either between coming to Albany or going to Buffalo.

What made you then decide to come to Albany instead of Buffalo?
Buffalo was way too big. I would have partied way too much. I would not have done as good in school at Buffalo. Albany was the perfect size ; only having about 100 students per class. I knew that was the better decision.

What has been your experiences living around here; some of your likes and dislikes?
Morris Street was definitely a dislike. My house was a dump. My landlord was a jerk. I think maybe that’s what I dislike the most is landlord issues. Also, parking is much worse here in Albany than it is in Syracuse. I remind Rachel that as I parked on the street in back of her, I noticed that our cars must be moved to the other side of the street by six so we do not get tickets.
I like that I met Kevin here, and I really like that there’s not as much snow as in Syracuse. I also really like that there’s a Sephora. [Laughs]

What’s one of your most memorable moments since living in Albany?
[Long Pause]
I think my most memorable moment was meeting Kevin. Whenever I thinkof Albany I think of Kevin. [Giggling and Blushing]
Graduation in May will also probably be one of my most memorable moments, but that has not happened yet.

What made you choose to go into Pharmacy School?
I knew that I wanted to do something in the medical profession. My friend’s older sister was graduating from pharmacy school when I was in high school and I never knew how much money they made until she told me. Then I realized it was the perfect thing for me to do. I worked at Eckerd Pharmacy in high school after that and I realized that this was what I wanted to do.

What has been your experiences been like working in the medical field? Do you have any good stories?

Oh man yes, working in hospitals you see crazy things. I have watched surgeries on
people and I have definitely seen my share of crazy things. I had a really funny story one time I had this guy who was on Comadine, he had to be almost 80. Comadine is a blood thinner, anyways so this guy comes in and he is bleeding from his private area because he was shaving down there. He had cut his nutsack and he is showing me his injury, and I was just trying to help him, but could not help from cracking up.

I have also seen some really sad things working in hospitals. I am doing a round in the oncology unit and have seen kids with cancer and tumors and it is really sad. It’s very emotional. In actual pharmacies you just deal with drugs, but with rotations you work in hospitals you see many different things. Also, in the pharmacy profession you see employees stealing drugs a lot. There was a guy we worked with who was stealing Loratab, which is a form of hydrocodone. There are many drug addicts out there.

What is one thing people would never guess from looking at you?

When I was 15 I won the Junior World Power Lifting Championship. I do not even remember how much I benched, but I remember I could bench a lot for my age group.

What made you choose to go back to Syracuse after graduation, and is that where you want to be?

It is my family and my parents. My whole family is out there and living in such a bad part of Albany turned me off from living here. If I had seen your family’s neighborhood sooner and Colonie, I would have thought about staying, but I only saw the dumps where I lived.
No, I want to move south. I cannot do the cold and the snow. Someday I want to live near the beach and palm trees. I want to work and make lots and lots of money so I can move maybe in five years or so.

If you could do it all over again would you still choose to live in Albany, or would you have done something different?

I would have definitely chosen to come here, but I will miss it once I leave. With Kevin and my friends being from here and having friends here I know Albany will always be a part of my life.

Drinking Milk Helps You Succeed In Life: An Interview With Dan L.

On January 21st, 2008 at 9:30pm, two 22-year-olds go on AIM, one hoping to conduct worthwhile interview. RawkBandDan stands 5’10, fluffy brown hair, very white straight teeth, tan complexion, and goes by the name Dan. He lives on Washington Street, four blocks away from The College of Saint Rose. Dan and I met through a mutual friend two years ago. RawkBandDan works part time at a credit union, but mainly attends RPI College in hopes of fulfilling a degree in an advanced science. He enjoys playing drums in his band and a few glasses of milk a day.

Anniewuzlike: Where are you right now?

RawkBandDan: In the living room of my apartment.

Anniewuzlike: How do you like living in Albany?
RawkBandDan: I definitely like it. It’s a real nice place and we have off street parking which is amazing.

Anniewuzlike: Especially for an Albany apartment. I use to live in center square and not only did we have to search for over an hour to find parking, but many bums would pick through our garbage. Do bums pick through your garbage?
RawkBandDan: I don't think so; I’ve never looked out the door and saw a bum going through my garbage, but its entirely possible.

Anniewuzlike: If a bum were to go through your garbage, what would they find?
RawkBandDan: Ummmm, pretty much just a ton of food packages, pop tart wrappers, and some water bottles, empty milk containers, the usual.

Anniewuzlike: Milk containers? That's funny. One of the first times I ever came to your apartment your roommate told me how much milk you drink; a gallon a day? RawkBandDan: Absolutely not a gallon a day that would definitely be ridiculous. Haha.
I just like drinking milk, only like a couple of glasses a day.

Anniewuzlike: What type of milk do you prefer? Whole? Skim? 2%?
RawkBandDan: Always skim, Annie, always skim.

Anniewuzlike: Does that "do a body good" just as much as whole?
RawkBandDan: I have no idea; I think it’s still just as good.

Anniewuzlike: If milk were a major in college, would you take it?
RawkBandDan: No, I don’t think id have much of a future with a major in milk.

Anniewuzlike: Speaking of majors, if all students had to take your major in college, what would that be like?
RawkBandDan: I don’t know. If you’re interested in it, it’s not all that difficult but if you hated math and science in high school; I’m assuming it would be pretty difficult.

Anniewuzlike: Was it tough to get into RPI? I know the valedictorian of my high school class goes to RPI.
RawkBandDan: I heard it’s a lot easier to transfer in than to start there your first year, and when I transferred in my grades were good, I don’t think they were exceptional or anything, but they were definitely pretty good.

Anniewuzlike: As good of a school RPI may be, how does it make you feel to know that a former student committed suicide at the college? Does that make you fear for your future?
RawkBandDan: No not at all, I honestly don’t see how that would affect me whatsoever. I’m sure the person had way more problems than his college education.

Anniewuzlike: Have you ever walked passed the spot where they found the body?
RawkBandDan: I honestly don't even know exactly where it is, I know what building it is in though; it probably will creep me out.

Anniewuzlike: What's a typical RPI student like?
RawkBandDan: A typical RPI student? I’m not that great at describing or judging people, but they are definitely very studious, most of them are pretty obsessed with doing things perfectly.
It’s extremely annoying sometimes.

Anniewuzlike: Are many RPI students into music?
RawkBandDan: I honestly do not think so.

Anniewuzlike: You're musical, correct? Which instruments do you play?
RawkBandDan: I just play drums.

Anniewuzlike: In The Pride Awake?
RawkBandDan: That’s the name of my band, yeah!

Anniewuzlike: How's that going? I must say, I saw you guys over winter break for the first time and I was blown away. Nice guys and good music equals a good combo!
RawkBandDan: Everything is going pretty well right now, were just writing lots of music and playing as many shows as possible. Pretty much almost all of my free time goes into it.

Anniewuzlike: For the people who've never heard of you, how would you describe your music?
RawkBandDan: I honestly don't really know how to answer that; I’ve been asked that a lot in the past couple weeks, I still can’t figure it out. I’m relying on people like you to give me some feedback and tell me stuff like that.

Anniewuzlike: I recall texting you that night and asked you to sign my boob next time I saw you?
RawkBandDan: Oh yeah?

Anniewuzlike: (which is so rawk star!)
RawkBandDan: Haha thanks.

Anniewuzlike: I'd like you to tell me what you’re thinking right now?
RawkBandDan: What I’m thinking about what? Anything?

Anniewuzlike: Anything.
RawkBandDan: I don’t know, I’m kind of watching this show as I’m doing this interview and this crazy terminator thing came on the screen it was kind of gross, that’s pretty much it, lol.

Barstool Banter: An Interview with Vince M.

Colonie native Vince M., 21, lives on South Main Avenue in Albany, NY. He transferred to UAlbany to major in biology and minor in economics after poor grades forced him out of Albany College of Pharmacy sophomore year. While at ACP, Vince joined the Kappa Epsilon fraternity, which he remains in today. We met at a mutual friend’s apartment on Quail Street and faced each other on a pair of ratty barstools. Perhaps it was the familiar seating that allowed the funny, easy going frat boy to open up about parties, his night as an air hockey champion, and beer.--Amber D.

Why did you join KE?
Originally, I was going to do a different frat, but then I went to the KE rush dinner and had more fun. I liked the guys better and I knew more people rushing KE. I figured, “If I’m going to rush a frat, I might as well do it with the people I know more.”

I was actually suitemates with the ones doing KE. So that probably helped a little bit in my decision.

You lived in the frat house when you first joined, but moved into another apartment with three fellow members after it was condemned. Are the two living situations very different?
If I lived at the frat house, like every two Fridays or Saturdays we’d have a pretty big party. It’d be a pain to deal with because it’d be dirty all the time. At the apartment, we have the whole place to ourselves. At the frat, we’d all have individual rooms, but anything else would just be open space.

No one would ever bother cleaning because we'd just have another party soon.

Do you have any parties at your apartment now?
We’ve had a couple parties there, but nothing too big. I mean, there’s been decent numbers of people there three or four times. But for the most part we just try to keep it really clean. We don’t have more than ten people in the house at once, usually.

Is that an apartment rule?
It’s not a rule; it’s just that’s usually how it ends up working. There’s four of us, our girlfriends, and then any other random people who come over. Just us and the girlfriends is eight.

So you’re just there for the party.
I’m the entertainment. That’s what I am. I usually just get drunk and run around and make a fool of myself. People laugh at me. That’s my job.

Any specific acts of foolery that stick out in your mind?
Last year we had a Super Bowl party, which ended up being, maybe, thirty people there. Half were in our living room watching the game. I was pretty drunk and decided I didn’t want to watch the game ‘cause I didn’t like the Colts. I don’t even remember who else was playing; it doesn’t matter.

So I’m in the next room, the game room, challenging everyone to play air hockey. I’m just really drunk and win, like, fifteen games in a row. No one knows how I’m doing it. I don’t even know how I’m doing it. I’m just barely standing. People are getting pissed. This one little guy kept trying to beat me, and he couldn’t for like five times in a row. It was hilarious. I’m just sitting there wobbling, can barely stand straight, and drink at least a beer a game.

But I don’t pass out; I just stop really functioning. So that was that night.

So when you’re not dominating little guys at air hockey all night, what do you like to do for fun in Albany?
Hang out with my roommates and friends, which usually just turns into drinking. Our new thing is brewing our own beer. We found this crazy bar that’s got like hundreds of different beers [Mahar’s on Madison Avenue]. We go there quite often and just talk to the bartender, learn what we can, read books. It’s all about beers. It’s pretty fun; so I guess beer’s my hobby.

Have you made a successful batch yet?
We’ve brewed two batches so far. The first one we made came out tasting pretty much like water. We were disappointed. But before we actually tasted it, we started our second batch. We just made it really hoppy and as high percent alcohol as we could that would still taste semi-decent. So our second one, we decided, was decent, pretty good.

Our first one sucked. We haven’t done anything since then because everyone had to leave for winter break.

Do you have a name for your beer?
No. We were trying to figure out a name, but then we were like, “You know, let’s focus on brewing something good first before actually naming it.”

Brewing your own beer takes a lot of time and work. Is it worth it?
I’d say so. We’re slow, I’m sure, compared to what we could be. But, you know, when you’re drinking a beer that you know you made yourself, it’s pretty satisfying.

A Renovation and a Revolution: An Interview with Aaron C

My friend Catherine said she could get me an interview with a cop. She couldn’t. So we went across the street from the Police Station in search of the next best thing. We found Aaron, a 29-year-old aspiring artist and clerk in the Pine Hills Branch of the Albany Public Library. When I returned to do the interview a few days later, he was behind the counter patiently helping an elderly woman.

When he saw me, he smiled hello, and turned to his co-worker to remind her of the ‘thing he had to do.’ He scuffed his feet on the carpet as he shuffled out from behind his protective barrier and out into the stacks. Despite his stocky stature, he had a smooth soft voice and demeanor, no doubt perfected from 13 years of working in the quiet atmosphere. He gestured to a small square wooden table by a window where we sat to have our hushed conversation.

How long have you worked in a library?
Oh man, wow, I think I started at the end of 1995. I started when I was 17. I was a page for the first couple of years until I started college and got a clerk position. I actually went to Saint Rose for awhile for Graphic Design, but that didn’t work out after someone in my family got sick.

What are the worst parts of your job?
Patron complaints, kids breaking rules, running out of paper for the copier, computers crashing…it's not really a bad job, its just stressful when a lot of little things go wrong in the same day.

Have you ever had to kick anyone out of the library?
Yeah, not so much here, but the North Albany branch--that’s bad. It’s almost like a rite of passage there for kids to get kicked out. It was a daily thing. Here, there aren’t problems often.

The most recent library newsletter mentions using Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero and other video games to get kids to come to the library. Is that something this branch offers?
Not here, but they did Dance Dance Revolution every Friday night when I was at New Scotland and there was a huge response.

How do you feel about drawing kids into the library with video games?
I’m not old- fashioned and against video games. The way I see it, it keeps them off the streets, and they are having a good time. It’s also good for parents because they would get involved too.

Creating a sense of neighborhood seems to be a real focus of the library campaigns. Do you think that’s why they are putting the time and money into so many upcoming library renovations?
Oh yeah, definitely. [Nods head emphatically.] The library is all about trying to become a good neighborhood center. But it’s mostly because some branches really need it. I think they just want to get them all done at once while they are at it.

As I understand it, renovations to this branch are expected to begin at the end of April 2008 and it is not scheduled to reopen until April 2009. How will this affect you?
There will only be three libraries open when initially there should have been five or six. They will be overstaffed and we will be tripping on each other, but at least we will still have our jobs.

Do you like being here better than the other libraries you have worked at? Definitely more than North Albany. The teenagers there were always testing you.

What is the strangest book that you’ve come across in this library?
Strangest book. Hmmm. A few interesting titles come to mind. [He trails off.]

Are they G-rated?
No. That’s the thing. [His eyes cast a downward glance at the floor as he laughs softly.]

Would you like to go back to school to pursue graphic design again?
Yeah, that or another type of art. I told myself last year that this year I would attack the art world really hard.

Kind of like a New Year’s resolution?
Yes, but before that. I want to be in galleries and have shows. I want people to see my work.

What kind of art do you make?
I haven’t done much recently. I’m just trying to get back into it. But I do illustrations of scenes around me--people, streets, buildings, cars. Especially people.

This was kinda tough for me because I’m normally a quiet person. But I feel like I owe you a good closing since I couldn’t answer that strangest book question for you.

Okay, you said you never intended to work in a library, but you like it. So what would you say it’s added to your life?
[His brow furrows.] People in my neighborhood see me coming to work in a tie and they wonder what I do. I think I help people become more comfortable in a library.