Moving Forward

By Philip Catalanotto

Seventeen years ago, New York City Transit took on the monumental task of bringing the subway system into the 21st century by modernizing and computerizing the subways. Transit moved from a system of little lights on a control board that signaled when a train was coming to a computerized system that monitors the trains and the flow of traffic.

The net result has been the creation of a half-billion-dollar Rail Control Center (RCC) where a dedicated group of railroad professionals oversees the conditions of the rail system, makes adjustments as necessary, and informs the public regarding safety and service.

Borne out of this effort were two major systems: Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) and the Pubic Address/Customer Information Screen (PA/CIS).

In order for the ATS system to become a reality, Transit employees had to physically rewire hundreds of miles of tracks and replace dozens of interlocks (switch tracks) with newer ones that are capable of being remotely controlled by a computer. Since safety is always the first concern, the signaling system had to be upgraded and interfaced as well. The signaling system provides traffic lights for the motormen to observe, just as drivers of cars must obey traffic signals.

Since ATS knows where the trains are at all times, the natural extension of this system is to be able to provide information to the riding public so that they know when the trains are arriving at their station. This is where the PA/CIS system comes in.

Timely Public Announcements on Train Service

The PA/CIS in simplest terms consists of  “countdown clocks.”  On these electronic signboards, passengers will see the train line, its destination, and the predicted time to departure. For visually impaired customers, this information is also presented via pre-recorded audio announcements. In addition to this base-line information, people in the RCC can send out audio and visual messages informing customers about service disruptions and alternate travel routes. Currently, this system is installed in the 156 stations for the numbered lines of the subway.

Gerald Catalanotto is one of the key designers and maintainers of the PA/CIS system. During an interview he shared information about how he came to work at NYCT, what he does, and what he sees as the future of this system. 

“ It is a wonderful feeling to be part of a team which is bringing this much-needed technology to the people of the city of New York,” he said.

After 25 years of developing software in the private sector, Gerald joined NYCT as a systems analyst during the design and implementation of this system. Day to day, Gerald keeps an eye on the system from the RCC and is ready to respond to any emergency that might arise. He teaches new users how to interact with the system and is working on extending the system to cover the other 313 stations of the lettered lines of the New York City Subway System. This will take at least five years.

A new exciting thing he is working on, he added,  is bringing the subway arrival information to the web so you will be able to access it with your smart phone. Mr. Catalanotto said that this is the most fun he ever had “playing with trains.”

"A Chorus Line": Stories and Struggles of Everyday People

By Kaitlyn Kozinski

Living the life of a dancer is one of the most difficult paths anyone can choose to take. Between the constant rejection and judgement, it is a wonder why anyone is in this business at all. Life is unpredictable; you can be dancing on a Broadway stage one minute and waiting tables the next. So why do people choose this profession and the grueling life that comes with it? The answer is simple, they love it.

The characters in the musical “A Chorus Line” are the epitome of what it is like to be a working dancer. Throughout the course of the show, the audience witnesses the many low points of being a dancer but they also get a chance to see the high points: the passion and love these characters have for performing.

“A Chorus Line” came to be in a very unique way. The inspiration for this show occurred during workshop share sessions that consisting of broadway dancers coming together and talking about their lives. They discussed their personal history such as life growing up, where their love for dance started, and why they dance. These different sessions were taped, written down, and soon music, lyrics, and a book of the new musical “A Chorus Line” was made.

Stories from Dancers' Lives

This show tells the story of 17 dancers going through the audition process, in hopes of being chosen for a spot in the chorus of a Broadway musical. The beauty of this show is that among these 17 dancers, none of them are alike; every character is different. Book writers James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante were able to bring together people of different backgrounds, family lives, cultures, hometowns, and personalities and show that despite their differences, they all share a common passion, dance.

However, this show is about more than dancing; it is about the life of a dancer, specifically these 17 people the audience gets to know for two hours. The characters delve deep into their personal lives and every audience member gets to connect with them and their struggles.

When the show opened on Broadway in 1975, it was rather controversial. Director Michael Bennett broke the standard Broadway musical mold of flashy costumes and big lavish sets and dared to try something new. There was no set, no curtain, no costume changes; just the dancers, the script, and the music. That is all it needed. James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante’s book is powerful enough to stand on its own. The same can be said for the score by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban. Having big gaudy sets and costumes would drown out the meaning of the songs and the audience would miss vital information about a character’s life.

This vision of Michael Bennett’s must have been a very smart one because in 1975, the book, score, choreography, and direction all won Tonys, as well as the musical itself. Having a strong book and score is what makes a musical live on and become a classic.

Original Character Returns as Director

That is why today, “A Chorus Line” is still a huge hit. Productions have been performed all over the world and some even in our own back yard. Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey recently featured performances of their own production of “A Chorus Line.” This production is particularly special because it is directed and choreographed by Mitzi Hamilton, a dancer who was part of the original taped workshop sessions and served as inspiration for one of the main characters.

Due to the fact that this production was directed by someone so close to the original concept, there was a great sense of authenticity. While watching it, I felt like I was being transported back to the original 1975 version. Every character was perfectly played and the guidance and expertise of Mitzi showed within this production. Having someone who knows the show inside and out was the perfect choice to direct and keep the legacy of this show going.

“A Chorus Line” will always be part of musical theater history. It is as relevant today as it was 37 years ago and that is because of its universal message: that every person has the chance to go after their dream and do what they love, no matter how long it may take to get there and how hard the process may be. Everyone can relate to this show, not just dancers. “A Chorus Line” tells the story of 17 dancers but shows the struggles of everyday people.

The Life of a Fellow Gardener

 By Rebekka Slate

            Robert Pioselli began gardening at the young age of seven during World War II. Mr. Pioselli lived in the Bronx with his mother, father, and sister. The summer of 1942, Mr.Pioselli, as well as his mother and grandmother, began to grow a victory garden. The garden was in support of the war effort. Victory gardens acted as a supply of food during a time of need. The family worked together to grow corn, beans, radishes, carrots, and beets. Every year from 1942 until 1945, the Pioselli family worked together to maintain the victory garden during the summer. As time went by this became a regular garden with all sorts of crops.

Robert Pioselli             (photo/Arlene Pioselli)

             Mr.Pioselli laughs as he recalls a humorous childhood memory: “I was impatient when it came to growing the crops. I used to pull the carrots out of the ground, realize that the roots were too small and would put them back into the ground. My parents could never figure out why the carrots kept wilting.” 

            During the winter months the Pioselli’s were not able to continue growing crops, but they would can the produce from the garden. The family also grew white narcissus bulbs indoors during the colder parts of the year. A friend of the family had previously traveled to Arizona and brought back cacti. This allowed the Pioselli’s family gardening to expand to a wider variety. The process of gardening was able to continue throughout the seasons. Friends and family helped to create a more diverse horticulture.

            Mr.Pioselli’s grandmother, Theresa Barriere, lived in a vacation house in Craigville, New York.  Mr.Pioselli would stay with his grandmother during the summers. The summerhouse was located near a barn as well as a brook. This brook was known as the Cromline and flowed between the house and the barn. The barn was later converted into a summer home for the Pioselli family.
            There was a large piece of flat land located near the home and the brook and this was used to create a garden. The same types of crops from the victory garden were planted in this location, as well as squash, zucchini, and ornamental gourds. Later on, a pump was installed by the brook to help irrigate the garden. The garden was fenced in to keep predators, such as woodchucks, away from the food. The family also had a flowerbed near the house’s screened in porch. Mr.Pioselli officially moved from the Bronx to Craigville in April of 1970.

            Building a Bigger Garden

            “After I got married and was living in a permanent home in Craigville, New York, I began to garden even more," he recalled. "I built a twenty by forty foot raised bed built for all my plants. I grew broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, peppers, and beans. I did have some trouble with woodchucks though; they would eat the leaves off the bean plants and leave the bean pods bare.”

            He also designed and built his own herb garden for the yard. He created various shaped beds that were separated by bricks. Mr.Pioselli recalls,” I used 200 bricks to put the herb bed together and through the process learned how to split them. In the center of the garden I placed a sundial. The plants I grew included medicinal, culinary, and ornamental herbs.”

            In 1974, Mr.Pioselli added a fourteen by sixteen foot greenhouse to his dwelling. There he grew forced bulbs, hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, crocus, and various types of anemones. Mr. Pioselli states, “In the utility room of my house I built shelves for florescent light fixtures. Under these lights I started plants for my summer gardens, and also raised an ornamental foliage plant known as coleus, of which I grow about 265 varieties.” Many of these coleuses were given to the head gardener at the Mohonk Mountain House, where they were and are still used for outdoor display.
            Ray Rogers heard of these many coleus from a mutual friend of Mr.Pioselli’s. Ray Rogers than contacted Mr.Pioselli about his plants and wanted to meet with him. Mr. Rogers later on wrote a book based on coleus plants and referred to Mr.Pioselli’s plants multiple times. Photographs, quotes, and gardening suggestions stated by Mr.Pioselli were published in a book titled “Coleus Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens.”

            Flowers Everywhere

            Mr.Pioselli states, “Presently I grow 168 daylilies, also known by the name hemerocallis, which translates to, beautiful for a day, in Greek. I also produce hardy hibiscus, which produce very large flowers spanning twelve inches across. They bloom in shades of red, white, and pink.” Mr.Pioselli laughs as he explains a moment in time when there was an over-abundance of dahlias: “They bloomed in August and our house looked like a funeral home! There were flowers everywhere, even the bathroom.”

Aside from gardening Mr.Pioselli taught accelerated 7^th grade science courses at Felix Festa Jr. High in Clarkstown, New York. He worked at Felix Festa from 1968 until the birth of his granddaughter in 1993. He jokes, “I knew it was time to retire when I was teaching my student’s children.” His teaching skills were put to use later on in life when he joined a Master Gardeners group after retirement.

            In 1994 Mr. Pioselli joined the Master Gardeners of Orange County. This group has undergone special training in all areas of gardening. They give horticultural advice to the general public and provide gardening knowledge. The group meets every second Wednesday of each month.

            Mr.Pioselli has had a lot of experience in the gardening world. He influenced his son, Erik Pioselli, to be involved in horticulture. Erik Pioselli went to Delaware Valley College in Pennsylvania, and is now the foreman of the turf and grounds crew at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. So in a roundabout way the gardening has gone back to where it began, with a member of the Pioselli family caring for plants in the Bronx; while Mr. Robert Pioselli still gardens at his home in Craigville, New York.

A Girl with a Fight Worth Fighting

By Delilah Scrudato


           At 18 years old, Odalys Jimenez-Castano, also known as Giselle, was a senior who was living every day like it was her last, no different from any other teenager. With college a year away, prom coming up in a few months and graduation around the corner, it seemed as if nothing could stop her or the path she was leading. But what Giselle didn’t know was that her life would change forever in a matter of minutes.
          On November 11th, 2011 Giselle and her mother sat in a doctor’s office patiently waiting for all the right answers.

     "The time is now 1:06 p.m. and I smell the overpowering essence of antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer surrounding the elephant covered walls of a room where diagnosis is uncovered, tears are spilt, and answers are found. I know sooner or later the doctor will arrive with a folder as big as her torso filled with tests and extremely long medical terms," she later recalled.
     "Three minutes or so have passed; I feel her cold hands pressing all parts on my body as she is paying close attention to the abnormal textures of my lymph nodes. Her eyes glanced over at me for just a second; I could see the desolate look in her eyes; a look I feared.
     "The time is now 1:13 p.m.. My thoughts begin to race. I can feel my blood rushing throughout my body as I detain a panic attack heading in my direction. I take a deep breath and as I begin to exhale, the doctor sits, holds her breath as she releases the words a mother never wants to hear; 'I know there is no easy way to say this, but we have discovered lymphoma in your daughter's chest.' My mother looks over right into my eyes, and waits for a reaction. Tears begin to rush down her soft, olive cheeks. She gasps for air and attempts to hold in the feelings of wretchedness she does not want to reveal in front of me.  Not being able to hold her emotions any longer, she yells out 'cancer? This must be a mistake.' ” 

          With a million thoughts going through her head, fear struck Giselle as she pushed her head into her pillow. Shocked and unprepared to deal with her diagnosis, Giselle would soon discover the value of life as she saw herself in the seats of many who fight a disease with no cure.
          Giselle was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease Stage 2B at Hackensack University Medical Center at the Tomorrow’s Children Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology. Giselle said, “We did not expect anything as severe as cancer; No family is ever prepared for cancer, especially in a child; however when strong is your only option that is the option you take.”  Giselle began receiving a sufficient amount of chemotheraphy in hopes of fighting her cancer.
          In January, however, Giselle ran into unexpected complications. Her white blood cell count was not increasing as planned and Giselle would be forced to stop chemotherapy. A possible, but not promising solution was for her to have a stem cell transplant. Giselle was faced with the dark truth that if the transplant was unsuccessful, she would only have three months to live.
          Holding on to life, Giselle said, “It was very difficult to see everyone grow, apply to colleges, shop for prom dresses, enjoy their senior years, while I laid in a hospital bed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, waiting to hear if my chemotherapy was working. While my life hung on a string, I watched as my friends partied, enjoyed living, and made memories.”
          Although Giselle’s friends were out making memories, they never hesitated to pause their schedules, only to hit play and spend their lives with Giselle. With each day that passed, Giselle’s family and friends prayed for her; Giselle prayed too.
          “Hearing you are dying is the worst news any person could ever hear; however I was hopeful God was with me every step of the way,” she said. “I realized I was not alone and I realized God had sent me a blessing in disguise.” Three weeks later, Giselle’s white blood cell count increased and she was able to receive chemotherapy again. With a soft look of acceptance, Giselle said, “Eventually, I understood I was making memories of my own.”
          And Giselle does just that. Being treated at the Tomorrow’s Children Institute inspired Giselle to hold a fundraising event. She held a Zumba dance class called “Shakin’ it for Odalys” to raise awareness and money for the institution. Her next major event is sponsored by Relay For Life, where her and her high school classmates will raise money for the American Cancer Society. Giselle also speaks at various high schools, sharing her story while giving insight to other teenagers.  Giselle can look back on her own memories, and remember how she inspired people while changing their lives.
          When Giselle was first being treated at the hospital with chemo she was nervous and filled with uncertainty. Then she met an 8-year-old girl named Ava who gave her a new perspective.
          “I can’t feel sorry for myself because if Ava can fight, I can too," Giselle said. "My diagnosis reminded me of the importance of deciphering the meaning of life through an open perspective; not everything life places in our paths is meant to be understood, sometimes some things are left unknown because if the world were full of answers, we would not have anything worth fighting for.”

 Delilah Scrudato is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College majoring in Communication Arts.

Onward And Upward

By Mary Hackett


          STAC has done it again with the outstanding receptions they offer in the Romano Center.  Last Thursday, April 26, there was a reception for the student teachers who were getting ready for graduation in May.
          In the beginning of the reception they had the student teachers come up in front of the audience and recite a speech on their experiences of being introduced to what their future jobs will hold in store for them. One speaker really stuck out. Maggie Fee of Pearl River, New York was a transfer from Rockland Community College and commuted to STAC for her last two years of school. Maggie began her speech by introducing what her experience was like being an assistant teacher in a real classroom.
          Maggie gave a twist in her experience that she shared with the audience. She started explaining how many obstacles she had to overcome to make it as far as she did to pursue her dream career.
          “Most college kids I knew were out partying when they weren’t in school or in school while they weren’t out partying," she said, "I, however, had a different story. I went to all my classes and straight from school I would go to work, and when I wasn’t working I was at school.” Maggie further explained why she did not have one second to herself. She knew she needed to work as hard as she could to meet financial costs to continue going to school, to pursue the career in the passion she had with teaching children.
          Maggie continued, saying how thankful she was that she was lucky to graduate and be successful with her career.
          This event was quit the attention grabber in fulfilling dreams to become what you want in life. Refreshments and dinner followed after the speeches and the graduates were each given a little “teacher's gift.” All in all, this event was very successful and packed a lot of the Romano Center, with seats filled by families and supporters of the graduates. Now these students have great options opened to them to do what they like with their teaching experiences.

Mary Hackett is a freshman at St. Thomas Aquinas College majoring in Communication Arts.

A Faux Pas?

By Cassie Michelotti


          “What is on your feet?”
          The question they really meant to ask:
          “Why are those on your feet?”
          My shoes have toes, actual individual toe slots. They are basically a thin layer protecting the skin on my feet. From a distance, people have told me it just looks like I am wearing socks; that is how little shoe there actually is. They are called Vibram Five Fingers, I call them my toe shoes. So that answers what is on my feet,;but why they are there is a bit more complicated.
          All I did was jump. This sounds uneventful, just another day playing lacrosse, just another pass thrown a little too high. I was wearing my very expensive traditional running shoes that my mom had gotten me to try and alleviate the knee problems I had developed from years of running. They had thick soles, which were supposed to cushion my knees from the impact of running. When I jumped, I landed on the edge of the sole, so instead of my foot landing flat it went 90 degrees the other direction. It was painful to say the least, but seeing as how it was the last day of the season and my brother had rolled his ankle in a similar way and all he needed was ice and rest, I just did the same.
          One year later and I was still in pain; a trip to the doctor revealed that my injury was a bit more serious than I had thought. Upon rolling my ankle, the tendon had ripped; to reattach itself, my foot had grown an extra piece of bone, which was now being very annoying and painful. For the next two years I had to wear an ankle brace every time I ran, and then ice my ankle afterwards.
          Here is the confusing part; every summer I would play lacrosse barefoot in my backyard, no braces, no ice, just fun. The little pain I did experience faded as the summer wore on; then every year as I started training for lacrosse, the pain would return in force.
          My senior year of high school, I read an article in the paper about a runner who never wore shoes, and how once he stopped wearing shoes all of his running injuries disappeared. So I tried it myself, just a short run only 1.5 miles, and apart from the occasional pebble, it felt great. The next day, I could not walk; the muscles in my legs were so tight and sore, I could barely make it up a flight of stairs. It turns out running without shoes completely changes the way you run and the muscles you use to do it. It must have been exactly what I needed, because once my legs and feet got used to this new way of running I could go for miles completely pain free.
          My next challenge was to find a way I could run during hot summer afternoons without burning my feet on the hot asphalt. The internet revealed an odd shoe, one with toes, like being barefoot without being barefoot. I was a convert; running shoes were a thing of my past, until lacrosse started again.
          I am going to be completely honest; my toe shoes are really weird and I was embarrassed to wear them in public and especially in front of the members of the lacrosse team that I was meeting for the first time. The problem was, I was actually scarred to wear a normal pair of sneaker or cleats because of all the suffering they had caused in my past. So I scrambled and found another minimalist shoe that was a bit more conventional looking and wore it my entire freshman season.
          Running over the summer, I reverted back to my bare feet or toe shoes; my toes preferred freedom and the feel of the ground under my feet makes running much more enjoyable. So this year, my sophomore year of college, I sacrificed my pride in favor of my feet and showed up to lacrosse practice in toe shoes.
          It’s the end of the season now and my shoes are still the joke of the team; my refusal to wear cleats has resulted in my slamming into the mud on several occasions, and when another player in cleats steps on my foot with its extremely thin outer layer, it really hurts, but my ankle has not hurt in two years.
          And that is why they are on my feet.

One Man's Trash...

By Cassie Michelotti


          Do you know the story of Young Goodman Brown? The young puritan walks into the woods eventually encountering the members of his community participating in a secret evil ritual and his wife is being initiated and he is never the same again. That is basically the idea of the story, and while not quite as dramatic I too have stumbled upon a secret community in the middle of the woods.
          It all started on the old Erie Railroad line; the section I was on runs parallel to 9W in Piermont. I have gone running on this trail many times, but one day I parked by the former Piermont train station to start my run and noticed a book sitting on a bench, like it was waiting for its owner to return and continue reading it.
          I do not know why I even noticed the book, just that it seemed a bit out of place on a trail that people  hike, run, or bike on. I finished my run and the book was still there. I left only to return the next day to find it untouched. I found this a bit odd but still did not investigate any further. The next day it rained. So on the fourth day I returned and the book had disappeared; on the way back to my car I noticed the book sitting in a trash can in the middle of the trail.
          Now I do not want anyone to think I rummage through the trash on a regular basis but the book was just perched on top and my failure to pick it up would have resulted in it ending up in some dump never to be read again, and it seemed awfully wasteful, so I picked it up.
          Though a bit damp from the previous day’s rain, I turned the book over to find it was a copy of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, a book about a journalist who summited Mt. Everest, whose expedition fell prey to the deadliest season in the history of Everest.
          There was a sticker on the front cover that read, “Take me home with you! Bookcrossing.com”. On the inside cover was another sticker which read, “A book can take us to so many places we’ve never been before and this one likes to do some traveling too!” It then gives the website again and an ID number, then continues, “You’ll discover where I’ve been and who has read me, and can let them know I’m safe here in your hands. Then….READ and RELEASE me!”
          Once back in my dorm room, I logged on to the website and entered the book’s ID number. It turns out the book was released, or left out in public, by a woman from Garnerville, NY. About the book she posted:

          “This is the compelling story of the author's climb up Mt. Everest. I'm in awe of the bravery and drive of people who undertake such incredible and dangerous trips. The story is inspirational, but not for the faint-of-heart (there are some disturbing parts). Perfect for the armchair adventurer!
          WILD RELEASE NOTES:
          At Train Station (historical landmark) in Piermont NY. It's on a bench inside the front door. Lucky you, you found a traveling book! It's on a journey to entertain new readers, so please make a journal entry to let me know it's in safe hands. I hope you enjoy this amazing book (my gift to you), and when you're finished please pass it along for someone else to find (or keep it if you like). Happy reading and Happy Labor Day!”

           Though I found this book closer to Christmas than to Labor Day, I am still grateful to its original owner who not only allowed me to read a very good book, but to discover this secret community of book sharing that happens all across the globe. I have not yet decided which book I intend to release into the wild, but I definitely plan on becoming an active member of this community.

 Cassie Michelotti is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College majoring in Graphic Design.