By Yugma Patel

Driving fast and breaking curfews. Arguing with parents and shoplifting. Smoking, drinking and rebelling. Those are just some things today’s teenagers are tempted with.

Nevertheless, how can we guide our youths of today into being the leaders of tomorrow and point them towards a righteous life? A young man or woman can change the very shape of the world with the right path and mentor. Without assistance to point out the proper route, they can go astray. Many youths find the right supervision and instruction by being a part of an organization called BAPS Sanstha.

BAPS, which stands for Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha is a non-profit, socio-spiritual Hindu organization. The organization provides guidance and inspiration to people to lead more enriched lives. The organization helps individuals appreciate their cultural and helps them address moral challenges they may face. All individual learn to overcome these challenges and issues through culturally and spiritually. They hold youth activities and educational opportunities for young adults. They also have a charity called BAPS Charities. This charity supports many different causes every year. They find the greater importance in the relationships of family and friend

Many adults think the youth of today are rebels. Indeed, young people of today have a strong attraction to rebel against anything and everything. Being insubordinate is not a crime, however, it becomes a crime when the disorderly action has a negative outcome. Teens are attracted to openly resist authority, but why? Raging hormones and desperate desire to find their identities, teens can be more easily swayed to acting out negatively. To prevent young people from going wander onto a dangerous path, an adult needs to show them the right direction and give the guidance on how to live a meaningful life and not waste it.

To steer kids towards a more positive road, young people ages thirteen to twenty-two have the opportunity to become involved in different activities and services in a BAPS temple. They receive guidance to become the leaders of tomorrow and guide our community towards a brighter future from their leader and/or guru known as Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj is not just a role model to adolescents and teens, but he is also a role model to every individual who is apart of this organization.

Ilesh Patel, who is 22 years old, started participating in BAPS when he was an infant. “I’ve stayed away from negative influence and all other aspects that can lead to the downfall for my life. He (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) at the age of 92 has never been more proactive than he is now. He follows all his rules ever since childhood, so why can’t we? He is my perfect role model. He helps me become successful so that is why I stay away from negative influence[s].”

The organization began in 1907 in a small village in India, and has since then spread worldwide, generating more than 3,300 centers. The first North American BAPS facility was established in 1974 in a New York basement, and today there are approximately 70 locations within Canada and the United States.

The Youth Wing was established in 1952 in Mumbai, India. This wing has flourished through the enthusiastic guidance and care of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. In 2012, this youth wing marked its 60^th year. BAPS Youth wing continues to inspire teens and young adults throughout the world to a noble life of service, devotion, and discipline.  There are many subdivisions of BAPS along with Youth Wing. Just as the young groups can find the right guidance, adults find the same guidance needed to a right path.

Ilesh Patel said, “BAPS helped me cultivate my perspectives and augmented my mentality both positively and spiritually. I enjoy helping others, I love donating, and I love volunteering, all due to the aspect of BAPS charities. BAPS helped me strengthen my bond with god and helped me gain more confidence.”

Why do Youths today go astray? For some, there isn’t any spiritual training available. They have an overflowing mixture of adrenaline and confidence to change the world. A young person’s spiritual and physiological energy should not be bottled up; in fact, that energy should be channeled in a proper channel for something good.

Every weekend, many young people gather at different locations of BAPS temple to learn how to live a pure life and to avoid veering in the wrong direction. There are many activities that take place in BAPS temple. In addition, BAPS temples hold classes teaching about religion and culture. These temples also focus on youth development.

Zalpa Mandalaywala said, “BAPS tries to convey their message through different activities and events in which youths of different ages get to learn at their own pace and make BAPS apart of their daily life. They teach life lessons through the different parts of the Hindu religion itself in which helps youths to be able to grasp what they’re being taught.” Zalpa does not participate in the organization, but has been closely associated with many individual who are.

Many centers organize college preparatory classes along with leadership training, preparing individual for job interviews by practicing with an expert, SAT prep classes, and develop skills in workshops as well. They initiate healthy living among children and young adults. Kids are taught to abstain from addictions by being informed of the negative impact these bad addictions can have, how to avoid bad influences, and how to detach themselves from worldly pleasures that will only bring them harm.

Aakash Patel said, “Being part of BAPS Sanstha opened my eyes to see the world around me and helped me to understand that the values I have, I should keep. BAPS sanstha also helped me cultivate my energy into positive things and helps me to stay away from bad influence[s].”

Pramukh Swami Maharaj leads by example. He was presented with certificated marking his entry into the world famous record book. He received a certificate for inspiring and building the largest traditional Hindu temple outside of India. The second one for marking 355 temple consecration ceremonies performed between April 1971 and May 2000.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj lives by the motto of, “In the joy of others, lies our own.”

By Stephanie Rivas

New York City, the big apple, shelters more than 50,000 homeless individuals per day, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. One of them is Kanyeresa West, a 29 year old who is chasing her dream as a singer.

Just three weeks ago, Ms. West went through the in-take process by the Department of Homeless Services where she reregistered a second time for a shelter in NY. The Department of Homeless Services is one of the largest organizations designed to address and prevent homelessness in New York City. DHS is partnered with various agencies where they shelter hundreds of individuals. Some of the shelters are limited to single women adults, single men adults, or families. Ms. West currently stays at a women’s shelter in Brooklyn.

Ms. West spends her days singing. She said “Singing, that’s how I get money.”

Kanyeresa West has been striving to get musically recognized. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She started singing at the age of 5. Ms. West continued on singing and would share it with the world by performing on the streets. In 2004 she had a baby boy. One day in the mist of performing, she met Kanye West and claims to have fallen in love with him. In 2006, her love and admiration steered her to travel to New York City to attend the Kayne West concert. He further fueled her desired dream career as a singer.

In pursuit of getting a better career opportunity, Ms. West came back to New York City in 2010 leaving her son under the care of her mother. With investments into her singing career she was left financially unstable so she stayed for the first time in a New York City shelter.

Ms. West said “I was basically at home and I knew that I had to come to New York to do something so my money was put to a situation where I either had to go home or stay in a shelter. I made a sacrifice, some people said they would never make that sacrifice but I did it to chase my dream.”

According to the NYC Department of Homeless Services, New York shelters provide many transitional services and resources on how to search and obtain employment, attain public benefits, search for housing and prepare for independent living. These services are provided in attempts to get people back to being self-sufficient members of society.

Ms. West does not currently work but dedicates her time to performing in train stations, mainly at The Times Square train station. She said “I’m chasing my dream so I’m not trying to go in the direction that they want me to go but they have a great system to help people get on their feet. They have a computer lab downstairs to help you look for work, they give you bus passes if you have an interview, they feed you really good. They have chefs, heat, air conditioning, the staffs are really cool, and the clients are really cool.” She said this while smiling as she flipped over some of her hair that had fallen over and covered the left side of her hair, the left side of her hair was Caesar shaved down and coated with sparkling gold glitter.

She continued after taking a short pause and said “It might be a shelter, but sometimes you might forget because it’s so amazing.”

Ms. Wests’ love for Kanye West continued to grow deeper which led her to change her name from her birth name Linda Resa to Kanyeresa West in 2011. She also got various tattoos with Kanyes’ name on her body, the biggest one that says “Kanye” is located on her butt.

This is Kanyeresas’ second time in one of NY’s shelters. New York shelters disfavor when individuals come and leave the system frequently. Ms. West understands their reasoning. She said “They don’t want you to come in and out. They want to be able to progress you. So if they feel like you are abusing the DHS system, they don’t play that.”

Furthermore, Ms. West expresses a good review of New York shelters, a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice Kaitlin Moody, partnered with another student in The Office of Community Outreach to create a program called Think Outside the Box to create awareness and acceptance of homelessness in the U.S and on a global scale. Ms. Moody said “We constantly see homeless people on the street and often look the other way.” She is attempting to create recognition of the issue and raise donations for homeless individuals in New York City.

One way New York is distinctive is because “New York City has a right to shelter and we let people stay as long as they have to, up until they are able to get back on their feet.” said a staff member of the Department of Homeless Services. In regards to New York City shelters Ms. West said “Some people have been here for a year or so. So they do not just put you out if you don’t get your shit together right away. They really try to work with and help you.”

Ms. West will continue to sing music until she achieves her dream to be a signed artist and known singer. As of now, she will remain singing at times square train station. She plans on returning to Chicago, Illinois very soon where she will continue to strive for her dream.

 By Shawan Coles

Life after prison can be hard.  With the recidivism rate in the United States being 67.5% within three years of being released from prison and little improvement in the job market according to the United States Department of Labor, prisoners face a harsh reality integrating successfully within society.  Reintegrating into society after prison can be a problematic undertaking for some, however, for one man it has proven to be an easy task.  One man tells how he has worked vigorously to get his life back on track after a second release from prison and how he continues to work hard to keep it on track.  While another second time offender tells of the hard time he had finding work after his first release from prison.

In a world that feels the guilty should be punished, What happens to the incarcerated when their time has been served and it is time to reintegrate into society?  According to an article written by Tina Rosenberg for The New York Times dated January 17, 2011 “The usual package granted to someone released from prison in NYC is $40 and a bus ticket”, but how far can $40 take you in NYC when it costs $2.50 for a one way subway fare and $3.50 for a person without a MetroCard?  When a person is released from prison they are released with terms, terms that are set by various governing agencies.  These terms vary depending on the newly released prisoner, they can range from the ex-convict needing to find a job, to a mandated drug treatment program.  Are the goals set for former inmates a set up for recidivism, or are some just not trying hard enough? These two men discuss their lives as formerly incarcerated men and the struggles faced as individuals.

Angelo Coles a fifty four year old male who was formerly incarcerated in Delaware Correctional Center tells his story of how he persevered after being released from prison in 2009.  Coles shares his experience from when he first knew he was going to be released until the present and the road that he took in securing employment while finding a place to live. Before Coles went to prison he was in the food industry, he was a chef at a country club in Wilmington, De. In prison he worked in the kitchen as a chef and gained recognition from The News Journal a Delaware newspaper in an article titled “Prisons chief makes case for bigger budget” written by Mike Billington on Feb 11, 2005.  In 2009 after six years in prison he was notified by his counselor that he was being released in thirty days. Upon release he would need to inform his counselor of his housing plans, only problem was Coles had nowhere to go.  At this point he told his counselor that he would be staying in a local Delaware shelter called the Mission.  He was discharged and notified that he had seventy two hours to report to his parole officer or he would be placed back in prison. Once Coles met with his parole officer he was informed that he would have to find a job in order to continue to stay out of prison, at this point the pressure was on, Coles would need to find a job and fast because going back was not an option. Coles decided to seek employment with a temp agency.

The temp service sent him to different job sites every day.  On these job sites he was able to use the skills he perfected in prison.  After six months of floating from site to site being on time and working hard Coles said he had earned a name for himself and was in high demand within the food industry.  Coles is currently off parole, employed at the Water Falls Banquet and Conference Center with a staff of 10 plus under him.   “Not bad for a guy who has only been out for three years” said Coles.  Coles recent work can be seen in VIP Magazine Weddings the July 2012 Edition.  If these are the results of what an ex-felon can expect upon release why is the recidivism rate in the United States so high, are these results typical or are they distinctive, can everyone released from prison expect this outcome, or is this one man’s journey?

              Dondre Farmer a twenty three year old male is formerly incarcerated in Monterey Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility a prison in Upstate New York.  This is his second time incarcerated.  “It was so hard to find a job out there, I looked everywhere, No one wants to hire a newly released man who only has a GED” said Farmer.    Farmer is up for parole and will be released later this month.  “Shock was hard, it’s hard having people yell in your face all day, even harder when they tell you that you can only make calls once a week.  This bid made me think and I can’t go through this again,” said Farmer.  “I am going to move upstate when I am released I hope to find a job and an apartment of my own.  I have a son to think about and I am getting too old for the life I was living.” Once released from prison Farmer will be staying with La-Toya Farmer a cousin, who fully supports any effort that Farmer is willing to make in his attempt to stay out of prison.  “It’s too hard on the family when he isn’t around and his son needs him, so I will help him in whatever way possible for him to stay out of prison this time” said La-Toya Farmer.

Farmer’s story is different from Coles story.  Is it because the inmates were released in two different states or is it because of their age difference?  No one really knows why some people are released from prison can have a harder time staying out than others.

By Tiffany Gomez

At seven in the morning, you won’t see commuter etiquette. You’ll see people desperate for 30 more minutes of sleep and a large coffee.

Some of the commuters who take the 6 train at the Castle Hill stop in the Bronx had some idea of what commuter etiquette is.  “Commuter etiquette is when people don’t just think of themselves while taking public transportation,” said Andre Martin, a Bronx resident.

His coworker John Serrano, 19, disagreed, “No, it’s when assholes get trained on how to commute.”

Martin and Serrano both agreed that after Hurricane Sandy things got worse because not all of the trains started running at the same time.

Serrano says that when he transfers from the 6 to the E, he’s always wondering about the people standing on the left side of the escalator. “They all know the left side should be clear for anyone trying to walk or run down the escalator, why do they block it?” Serrano said.

Some people confessed to blocking it on purpose. “It’s a guaranteed way of pissing someone off, why wouldn’t you do it?” said 22-year-old Samantha Rossi.

After hurricane Sandy riding the escalator somewhat better. “At least after Sandy occurred, people seemed like more of in a rush and both sides were walking up,” said Martin. Still, people managed to do something wrong. “I was going up the escalator and since this guy in front of me was almost at the top he stops like there isn’t a line of people behind him also going up,” Martin said.

While riding the 6 train into Manhattan, it seemed like most people were in a bad mood, and that’s usually because the train is packed, but this one wasn’t.

“If I look like I’m happy someone will try to talk to me, and I just don’t like talking to anyone. This is my quiet time,” said 23-year-old Orlando Martinez. He added that he doesn’t even like talking to his wife, who was sitting next to him reading a paper. Martinez just likes tuning everyone out to have a smooth ride.

Casey Parker, 26, says that her biggest pet peeve when it comes to riding the subway was the passengers who liked to share their music.  Coincidentally, a young man had just entered the train on the 125th street stop.  He was listening to music from his phone with no headphones, rapping along to it.

“That right there is exactly my point, if I wanted to listen to 2 Chainz and what he wanted for his birthday I would have done so myself,” Parker said. She also hates when music is so loud that you can hear it clearly from across the car.

“The bottom line is that commuters are only thinking of themselves, don’t expect them to be considerate to you,” Parker said.

Carlos Santana, 20, a tourist from Ecuador, even knows that there are certain unwritten rules you should follow.  “I hate it when I’m sitting, there’s room for three people to sit and the person decides to sit right next to me” Santana said.

It isn’t unusual to overhear conversations on a packed train. 21-year-old Janise Villamarin chimed in, “The worst thing is when no one offers their seat to small children, older folks and pregnant women.”

Waiting rooms, buses and park benches have similar exceptions. It is prudent to give up a seat for the elderly or children. The difference is that most people who sit down on the train do it because they’re tired and don’t want to give up their seats.

Villamarin thinks etiquette should have been better after Sandy, but it seems it didn’t have any effect on commuters.

They were more upset at the things people do on a daily basis, whether a storm just passed or not. Castle Hill resident Jay Lee felt it doesn’t make sense as to why some people wouldn’t wait for everyone who needs to get out to do so before they board the train. “It’s like they want to piss us off, especially in the morning,” Lee said.

This disturbed Lee so much that he got fed up and decided to ride his bicycle everywhere he could. “I’m more of a morning person now and it helped me lose those 15 pounds I wanted to lose,” Lee said.he got fed up and decided to ride his bicycle everywhere he could. “I’m more of a morning person now and it helped me lose those 15 pounds I wanted to lose,” said Lee.