For many patients who come to the hospital, their medical team — physicians, nurses and other health care professionals — serves as a lifeline. Skilled and compassionate, these dedicated caregivers help to ensure patients receive the care they need both physically and emotionally.
So it is with great pleasure that we celebrate and salute our nurses, physicians and all our health care professionals during National Nurses Week (May 6 to 12) and National Hospital Week (May 8 to 14). While we are grateful all year long for the jobs they do, these special weeks remind us to let these dedicated individuals know how much they are respected and appreciated.
Because Stony Brook Medicine is an academic medical center and the region’s only tertiary care center, unique medical issues confront our caregivers on a regular basis. Each day a new patient or situation challenges us to take the best ideas in medicine and turn them into practical solutions for our patients. With our nurses frequently on the front line of care, it is often up to them to lead those efforts.
But a hospital runs on more than care. From those who work to keep our hospital clean, to those who prepare nourishing food, from the experts who maintain our technology, to the landscapers who maintain our grounds, from first-year nurses to the most seasoned medical specialists, every single person at Stony Brook makes a meaningful contribution.
We are proud of all of the individuals who contribute to Stony Brook — proud of the expertise they offer and the compassionate care they deliver. They are the people behind our mission to always strive for excellence as a world-class institution, recognized for outstanding patient care, research and health care education.
Please join me in extending thanks to all of those who contribute to the exceptional care to our community and beyond.
L. Reuven Pasternak, M.D., isCEO, Stony Brook University Hospital and Vice President for Health Systems, Stony Brook Medicine
Passionflower vines are a nice addition to a garden. File photo
By Ellen Barcel
Last week, we took a look at climbing plants in general and specifically annual vines. This week we’ll examine perennial vines, productive vines and vines to avoid.
Perennial vines I love perennial plants since they’re a plant once and enjoy for many years thereafter plant. Perennial climbing or vining plants include:
Trumpet vines add some color to a garden. File photo
Trumpet vines produce lots of orange colored, trumpet-shaped flowers. It needs little care but can get out of control, so be careful. It’s a vine that does well in some shade. The trumpet shape is a tip-off that it can attract hummingbirds.
Clematis is another vine that does well with some shade. There are several basic varieties, those that bloom in the spring and those that bloom later in the season. Know which one you have since this determines when you are able to prune it back if needed. The rule of thumb to control a plant’s size is to cut it back immediately after a flowering plant blooms, so as not to interfere with next year’s blooming cycle. Clematis are known for their beautiful flowers, making them ideal as decorative plants on a trellis.
Climbing hydrangeas are beautiful plants but can get very large since they grow up as well as sideways. Be prepared to prune it to the desired size and shape. It can take some shade, but the flowers appear where the sun reaches the plant. As a result, you will see lots of greenery closer to the ground and lovely white flowers up near the top. This is an ideal plant for a chimney, for example.
Native wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is native to the eastern part of the United States. It is much less aggressive and therefore easier to control than Asian wisterias. It’s a perennial, woody plant in the pea family. Like the Asian variety, it has clusters of purple flowers and grows in hardiness zones 5 to 9. In addition to being less aggressive, its flower clusters are smaller and the overall size of the plant is smaller.
Productive vines: If you have limited space and want your vines to do double duty, consider vines that are productive.
Cucumbers are easy to grow and generally very productive. Plant them where their tendrils can grasp onto something, like a chain-link fence, a trellis or wire support of some sort. They do need plenty of water, so don’t let the plants dry out during times of summer drought. Cucumbers are annuals, so you need to replant them each year.
Clematis can be a good addition to the garden. File photo
Another productive, and perennial, vine is the grape vine. See my column of March 10 for more detailed information on growing grapes. Make sure you know how you plan to use the grape so you can select the appropriate type (table grapes, jellies, wine, etc.)
Indeterminate tomato vines keep growing throughout the growing season. They keep setting fruit as long as the weather is mild enough and can get to be very large plants. Tomatoes need plenty of sun and are heavy feeders, so make sure you fertilize periodically.
Honeyberry is a vine that produces edible fruit as does the passionflower. I particularly like the unusual purple flowers of the passionflower and would grow the plant for its flowers alone.
Vines to avoid There are a number of climbers that are not the best to include in your garden. English ivy is one. It takes over. Many years ago I planted a few tiny plants. I’m still pulling out this terribly invasive plant. It seems to have a mind of its own. While a “vine-covered cottage” may seem charming, you will probably regret planting this one. As a result of its nature, English ivy is on the Management List.
Another is the Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). It volunteered in my garden and, before I realized it, had grown through my stockade fence, breaking it. Once I thought I had removed it, for years later, I found tiny plants springing up where the seeds had dropped. While very pretty, with its red berries that break open to reveal yellow seed pods, it’s a real pain to control. It climbs by wrapping itself around things, like your good trees, strangling them. As a result of its extreme invasive nature it’s on Suffolk County’s Do Not Sell list.
Avoid the Oriental varieties of wisteria that, although beautiful, can become invasive. File photo
A third vine that is difficult to control is the Oriental (Chinese and Japanese) varieties of wisteria. This one is filled with beautiful purple racimes of flowers, so is very impressive, but, it too, takes over the garden. If you insist on planting it, make sure you are ready with the pruning shears, so you can keep it under control. It’s a quick grower, which needs little care and seems to have no natural enemies (insects or disease wise). It sends out runners along the ground so can go out as well as up. I’ve seen abandoned houses with gardens gone to weed, but the wisteria is still growing beautifully, even attaching itself to power lines. As a result, it too is on Suffolk County’s Management List — technically legal but do you really want to plant it?
Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.
Cold Spring Harbor has three competitors vying for two seats on the board of education, including one incumbent and two newcomers.
Lloyd Harbor residents George Schwertl, a member of the Cold Spring Harbor Library board; and Lizabeth Squicciarni, a member of the Citizen Faculty Association, a parent-teacher association at the CSH Junior/Senior High School, are going up against Vice President Amelia Walsh Brogan, who is seeking a third term.
Lizabeth Squicciarni
Squicciarni, an eight-year Lloyd Harbor resident, has served as co-vice president and secretary on the CFA board and is a member of both the Cold Spring Harbor Education Foundation and the Central Parents Council.
She said she would like to carry on the success the district has already established.
“Like many residents in our community, my husband and I decided to move to the Cold Spring Harbor school district because of its impressive reputation and consistent ranking among the top-rated districts in the country,” she said in a district letter. “We have not been disappointed … I would like the opportunity to keep moving our district forward.”
Aside from district work, Squicciarni is a New York State certified emergency medical technician and volunteers with the Fair Harbor Fire Department on Fire Island.
“I believe my background gives me the unique ability to see issues from all perspectives,” she said.
Amelia Walsh Brogan
Amelia Walsh Brogan photo from the candidate
Brogan, current vice president, has served the board for the past six years as a trustee, president and vice president. She also serves on the Audit Committee, Policy Committee and Contract Committee. In a letter to the district, Brogan said among her recent accomplishments was working to find a new superintendent.
“I was active in the search and appointment of our new superintendent of schools,” she said. “My continued commitment to academic excellence, future innovations and desire to build on our successes were imperative in my decision-making process.”
Brogan also said that during her tenure the board has maintained its AAA bond rating and adopted well-balanced budgets that were below the state-mandated tax levy increase cap that maintained student co-curricular and athletic programs and expanded some educational programs.
George Schwertl
Schwertl, who has four children currently enrolled in the district, said he is impressed and proud of the education they are receiving and knows “how important education is to our families and the community,” in a letter to the district.
Aside from serving on the library board, Schwertl is involved with the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit that raises money to improve the health and well-being of children.
“I have a strong commitment to our community, having lived in Suffolk my entire life,” he said. “I am a strong advocate of our teachers and believe in the power of education, sports, music and extracurricular activities to prepare students for college and help make them the best they can be.”
Schwertl also said he promises an open door policy if elected, and to be a strong voice for the community and children.
‘Rescue Dory’ by Leo Revi is one of 18 paintings in the exhibit.
By Ellen Barcel
A new exhibit has opened at the Long Island Museum based on the idea that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The exhibit, The Brush Is My Pen: Art That Tells Stories, explores the themes of work, satire, drama and hope. Paintings, prints and photographs are represented.
The exhibit spans much of American history beginning with a number of paintings from Setauket’s own 19th century genre artist William Sydney Mount. “The exhibition is pulled primarily from the museum’s collection and helps to show the breadth of art the museum owns,” noted Julie Diamond, director of communications for the museum, adding “Each piece demonstrates how the artist sought to tell a story with a picture, just as a writer would with words.”
“We consider it to be a fine range of figurative and genre works from our collection over the past two centuries,” said Joshua Ruff, director of collections. “People often know our collection for its strengths in landscape painting, but this gives a window into some of our other holdings, with works from William Sidney Mount, Frank Myers Boggs, Winslow Homer, and contemporary artists such as Margery Caggiano, Leo Revi and Joseph Reboli.”
‘Fall Pool’ by Joseph Reboli will be on view at the LIM through July 30.
Chronologically, Mount’s paintings are the first. Five are on view including “School Boys Quarrel.” This painting also raises questions as well as tells a story. Why were the boys fighting? for example. Other Mount paintings include “California News, 1850,” the reaction to the news of gold being discovered, and “Loss and Gain, 1847.”
Edward Lamson Henry was born in South Carolina, moved to New York City and studied painting in Paris, returning to the U.S. during the American Civil War. His “Home Again,” painted in 1908, expresses longing for an America that was rapidly fading. Interestingly, this theme could easily express feelings in America after World War II or even now, with the rapid development of technology.
Twentieth century painter Joseph Reboli’s work is represented by “Fall Pool, 1998.” Reboli was born in Port Jefferson and worked much of his life in Stony Brook. A local artist, he is known for his interpretation of everyday scenes, much in the way that Mount did.
Margery Caggiano, who passed away this past December, noted in her artist’s statement that “I’ve sometimes regretted the lack of a formal art education … But, I like to think that I’ve been primarily influenced by paintings I’ve seen in galleries, museums and books rather than a teacher and other students.” Caggiano, with over 300 works in private and public collections, is represented in the LIM’s exhibit with “Michael as Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga,” a 1978 work.
As technology has changed in the world overall, so has it changed in the art world, with photographs playing a larger and larger role in art. Photographer N. Jay Jaffee’s “Coney Island Polar Bears, 1951” is part of the current exhibit.
‘Bleaching Laundry,” c. 1875, oil on canvas, by William Moore Davis.
Other artists on display include, Mort Künstler, Robert Gwathmey, Craig Robins, Luigi Lucioni, Samuel Rothbort and William Moore Davis.
Noted Diamond, “The exhibition was chosen as a companion exhibit for the Mort Künstler show. In fact, there is a Künstler piece in the exhibit.” The Künstler show, which runs through May 30, features approximately 100 paintings and ephemera of the Oyster Bay artist.
Ruff noted, “We decided to put this exhibition together to pair with the Mort Künstler exhibition, which is largely an illustrative narrative art exhibition.The thought was that an exhibit which looked at story-telling in art from our collection would provide the perfect complement to the larger exhibition.”
The Brush Is My Pen, was curated by Joshua Ruff and Lauren Cesiro (assistant director of education) and will be on display through July 30. Two special events related to the exhibit are scheduled.
On May 10 from 10 a.m. to noon the museum will hold its Senior Tuesday program. Seniors 62 and older are invited for a free, self-guided tour of The Brush Is My Pen. No reservations are required and groups are welcome. On May 15 from 2 to 3:30 pm, Cesiro will lead a guided tour of the exhibit. The program is free with regular museum admission.
In addition, mothers and grandmothers are invited to tour the museum for free on Mother’s Day, May 8. Other exhibits on display include, Mort Künstler: The Art of Adventure and Hooked@the LIM.
The Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages is located at 1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook.The museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For further information, call 631-751-0066 or go to www.longislandmuseum.org.
Staff members of Cause Café gather outside the front entrance. Photo from Stacey Wohl
Morning routines for residents in Huntington are about to get a little sweeter.
Fort Salonga’s Cause Café is the newest coffee shop working to bring jobs to young adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
Stacey Wohl, founder and co-owner of the café, has run the Our Coffee with a Cause coffee brand business with her two children, Brittney and Logan, since it was founded in 2012. Cause Café will sell its coffee, as well as breakfast foods, sandwiches and more.
Brittney and Logan, who both have autism, were named co-owners of the business in November 2015, and will both be working at the coffee shop. The shop is a crucial resource for young adults with disabilities, the owner said.
Staff members cut the ribbon at the opening of Cause Café along with Councilman Mark Cuthbertson. Photo from Stacey Wohl
“I started talking to other parents and they had no job opportunities for their young adults with autism,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.
Although programs are set up for internships to work with nearby businesses, Wohl said they don’t translate into actual jobs.
“They fall off the cliff at about 22 years of age,” she said.
Aside from the kitchen staff and the counter manager, Wohl said every other employee at Cause Café is working with some form of a disability.
“I wanted a retail place where people saw the young adults with special needs and they were visible in the community,” Wohl said. “There are some companies who hire the disabled, but they are behind the scenes. [Here] they are right alongside with typical individuals in the community, doing some of the same jobs. They are involved in every aspect from the beginning.”
The founder said she is hoping to inspire other businesses to hire the disabled, and also expand this store into a chain, to create as many job opportunities as possible.
“I could open up 10 stores right now with the amount of people that want a job,” Wohl said. “I have parents calling me every day all the time, emailing, Facebook, calling. There are no jobs for kids with special needs.”
According to Disability Statistics, in 2014, 34.6 percent of Americans between the ages of 21-36 were employed. In New York, out of about 1.1 million residents with disabilities, only about 351,000 were employed.
The United States Census Bureau said between 2008 and 2010, individuals with disabilities accounted for 9.4 million, or 6 percent, of the approximate 155.9 million employed citizens.
In terms of what this coffee shop will offer to residents’ palettes, the choices are international and diverse.
The interior of Cause Café. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
“I always wanted to go to France, so France came to me,” Wohl said of the theme of the shop and many of the items on the menu. She said the store is highlighting some products that “you can’t really find unless you go to Provence,” seeing as many items have been imported straight from that region in France.
Andrew Popkin, sous-chef at Cause Café, said that the menu features all homemade items that are both healthy and delicious. Popkin said the menu will have weekly seasonal specials, and some of the highlights for him include the buttermilk pancakes with maple butter syrup and the quiches.
“Our food is going to match up to [competitors] and, at the same time, you’re helping kids out who don’t usually have the opportunity to work,” Popkin said of why residents should stop in for a meal.
Cause Café is located at 1014 Fort Salonga Road and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting this Saturday, May 7.
Roosevelt Avenue’s park is tucked away in the woods. A path leads from the road to the field, which is next to the railroad track. Photo by Elana Glowatz
A hidden park in the corner of Port Jefferson could soon expand, as village officials line up paperwork on a few small properties they were supposed to take ownership of 45 years ago.
Roosevelt Park, tucked away at the end of a grassy path beyond Roosevelt Avenue in the village’s southwestern corner, is as big as the ball field it contains — but it was meant to be larger. A corporation that built houses in the village in the 1970s, as a condition of project approval, was supposed to give three parcels on the western side of Roosevelt Avenue, opposite the ball field, to the village for recreational use. It was also supposed to contribute $5,000 to the village so it could acquire a fourth piece of land, which is pinned between the existing park, the three adjacent parcels and the Long Island Rail Road track that borders the park’s southern end.
But the deed transaction was never completed, although no taxes have been paid on the group of three parcels since the 1970s, according to Port Jefferson Village Attorney Brian Egan.
Roosevelt Avenue’s park is tucked away in the woods. A path leads from the road to the field, which is next to the railroad track. Photo by Elana Glowatz
The village board of trustees, in a legal action at a board meeting on Monday night, called the discrepancy a “scrivener error.”
It is not clear what happened to the $5,000; the village does not own the fourth piece of land either.
At the meeting, the trustees gave Mayor Margot Garant authorization to record three quitclaim deeds, which would transfer the titles of the properties to the village.
Egan said he has spoken to the family of the construction corporation’s owner, who has since died, and “they don’t want to have anything to do with this property.”
The fourth piece of land might be a little trickier — property taxes have been paid on that lot, and Egan said the village might have to acquire the sliver through eminent domain, an action in which a municipality claims private property for a public benefit and compensates the owner.
When combined with the existing Roosevelt Park, the land could make a spot larger than 2 acres, Garant said at a previous meeting. She has also said that she would like to see the expanded spot become a “dedicated space for peewee programs,” because older players sometimes dominate the Caroline Avenue ball field up the road.
While the mayor had said she doesn’t want to impact the surrounding residences, in the village neighborhood off Old Post Road known as the “presidential section,” she had suggested adding some parking at Roosevelt Park.
Legislator Robert Trotta standing among the pet food donations with his daughter, Tori, their dog, Buddy, and Michael Haynes, chief government affairs officer for Long Island Cares. Photo from Susan Eckert
Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) said he was most appreciative of the support he received from the residents who donated to his pet food drive to benefit Baxter’s Pet Pantry at Long Island Cares Inc.
In addition, many customers at the IGA Markets in Fort Salonga and East Northport contributed items to the bins stationed at the stores, as well as from Splash and Dash Pet Groomerie in St. James.
“Everyone was incredibly generous in donating cat and dog food/treats and bird seed, as well as other items for the pet pantry at LI Cares. I am thrilled that we collected 435 pounds as well as a donation of $100 from a local resident,” Trotta said.
Founded by the late Harry Chapin, Long Island Cares is based out of Hauppauge and works to bring together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry on Long Island, the organization said. Long Island Cares also works to provide various humanitarian needs for the greater Long Island community, providing food when and where it’s needed while promoting self-sufficiency and public education.
Setauket Farmers Market organizers Leah Sugrue and Liv Halvorsen enjoy the fruits of their labor at one of last year’s events. Photo from Liv Halvorsen
Farmers markets featuring fresh, local produce and other food items are great for everyone involved, from vendors to shoppers, and the Three Village community is about to get another dose.
The East Setauket Farmers Market, which kicks off for the season on Saturday, May 14, on the North Country Road grounds of the Three Village Historical Society, takes “win-win” one step further. All of the money raised from vendor fees, raffles and donations goes to the nonprofit organization Hope for Javier, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The East Setauket Farmers Market was started in 2015 by then freshmen at Ward Melville High School Leah Sugrue and Liv Halvorsen. The market began as a National Junior Honor Society fundraising proposal, though it has grown to be much more. This year the market will be open on Fridays from spring through fall, starting with the special kickoff date on May 14.
“It’s pretty cool to drive by and think, ‘Wow I created that,’” Halvorsen said in a phone interview Tuesday as she reflected on how the idea sprouted from a school-related proposal to an annual reality.
Sugrue and Halvorsen chose Hope for Javier because another student in the National Junior Honor Society has a family member involved with the organization, and the pair thought the devastating nature of Duchenne muscular dystrophy made it as worthy a cause as any to get behind.
“This is one we felt like the community really responded to,” Halvorsen said, adding that their involvement with the nonprofit has been as fulfilling for them. “[Hope for Javier] shouldn’t be thanking us, we should be thanking them.”
Sugrue said the response to last year’s market “changed what we were thinking, and we’ve become more involved with the cause.” She added that she’s learned a lot about local produce along the way.
The market will feature many of the same fresh, local produce from last year, along with artisanal breads, wines, olive oils, jams, beef jerky, pickles and much more this time around. The pair also hinted they are trying to secure a bouncy castle for marketgoers to enjoy on the 14th.
Sugrue and Halvorsen credited Melissa Dunstatter with helping to get the market off the ground. Dunstatter owns Sweet Melissa Dips & Gourmet catering in Rocky Point, and sells her products at the market and helps with the market’s operations.
“The outpouring of support has truly been amazing,” an informational release about the 2016 launch of the market, said.
To learn more about the market visit www.esetauketfarmersmarket.com.
My mom has been a recipient of Community Medicaid. As her condition is deteriorating, it is apparent that she will require long-term care in a nursing facility. I have heard that her Community Medicaid will pay for the nursing facility. Is that correct?
The Answer:
No, Community Medicaid will not pay for long-term care in a nursing home. Community Medicaid is the program that covers care at home; such has a personal care aide. Chronic Medicaid is the program that covers nursing home care. The requirements and application process for Community Medicaid and Chronic Medicaid are very different. An individual is unable to receive both Community and Chronic Medicaid simultaneously, so it is important to know the differences and make sure you have the correct Medicaid in effect.
For 2016, an individual applying for Community Medicaid can have no more than $14,850, not including their home, in resources and no more than $845 per month in income. Qualified funds such as IRAs or 401(K)s are exempt, but the applicant is required to take periodic distributions that are counted as income each month.
While these limitations may seem daunting, the good news about Community Medicaid is that there is no look-back period and the individual can opt to use a pooled trust to preserve any excess income above the $845. That means someone looking to get care at home can transfer assets and set up a pooled trust in one month and be eligible for Community Medicaid in the following month.
This is much different than Chronic Medicaid. For 2016, an individual applying for Chronic Medicaid can have no more than $14,850 in resources, including a home, and no more than $50 per month in income. There is no pooled trust option to protect the excess income.
Like Community Medicaid, qualified funds such as IRAs or 401(K)s are exempt, but the applicant is required to take periodic distributions that are counted as income each month.
Chronic Medicaid has a five-year look-back. The look-back refers to the period of time that the Department of Social Services will review your assets and any transfers that you have made. To the extent that the applicant has made transfers or has too many assets in their name to qualify, they will be ineligible for Medicaid.
However, there are some exempt transfers that the applicant can make that will not render them ineligible. If transfers were done in order to qualify the individual for Community Medicaid, those same transfers may pose an issue for a Chronic Medicaid application.
Due to the differences in Community and Chronic Medicaid requirements and regulations, it is imperative to consult with an expert.
Nancy Burner, Esq. practices elder law and estate planning from her East Setauket office.
Students at Mount Sinai Middle School engage with one another in a discussion about why it is important to read books. Photo by Desirée Keegan
“I am a genius.”
That’s what public speaker Kevin Powell instructed the seventh- and eighth-graders inside the Mount Sinai Middle School auditorium to stand up and repeat as they applauded one another in an effort to learn about diversity.
“What you get with young people is just this energy,” Powell said. “They’re open to listening, but also expressing themselves and evolving. I just wish I had those kinds of conversations when I was a teenager because it would’ve saved me a lot of angst and a lot of stress from all of the stuff that I went through. Those young people inside that auditorium were brilliant.”
Guidance counselor John Grossman said he first listened to Powell speak about a month ago in Bay Shore during a writer’s conference. Because the students in his seventh-grade peer support program were recently creating family trees and learning about diversity, he said he thought Powell’s message was perfect for the time.
“His message is one that encapsulates what we want to do with our peer support program, what we want to see and how we want to see our kids interact with each other and how we want to see our community grow together, as opposed to dividing itself,” he said. “That’s the influence for bringing Kevin in.”
He said he also thought that with the warmer weather comes more hostility and aggressiveness; and with the country’s hostile political climate the message was also one that would serve kids well at this time.
“Labels are being thrown around all the time by certain candidates and there are kids here that see that and identify with some of those groups,” Grossman said. “Kids are being affected by what they see on television. We want to bring some compassion to each other where there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of it out in the news these days.”
As Powell entered the room, he immediately began engaging with the kids. Instead of giving them a 40-minute lecture, he asked students questions, passed around the microphone and invited some to come up on stage with him.
Public speaker Kevin Powell talks to Mount Sinai seventh- and eight-graders inside the auditorium. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Several students volunteered to address the room, and each was asked to not only tell the audience about their background and what they want in their future but to explain what diversity means to them.
Isabella, of Portuguese decent, said she wants to be a singer. She said she thinks that diversity is each person’s uniqueness, and that it shouldn’t be a deterrence.
“We’re all different, but even though we’re all different in our own ways we shouldn’t be treated differently,” she said, adding that learning about her background and the language has helped her grow closer with some of her family that lives in Portugal and doesn’t speak English.
Luca said she sees diversity as a puzzle.
“Each country has its own puzzle piece and as one we fit a puzzle of the world,” she said. “We have to teach kids about how we’re all different, but how we should be proud of it. There should be awareness of where we came from.”
Powell, an only child, said his family moved to Jersey City from the south, where he lived in poverty with his single mother. He said that he would’ve never guessed this would be his life’s work.
“My work is rooted in love,” he said. “I never thought I’d be doing anything like this. I’m a poor kid from the ghetto, and I was just happy to get out of Jersey City and go to college on a financial aid package, but I do feel tremendously blessed and I believe you have a responsibility to give back to people.”
Luis, who said he wants to be an astronomer, had a meaning for diversity that struck a chord with the entire room, believing that it offers more information to the world.
“Diversity is small variations and differences that each person has that makes the world a lot more interesting,” he said. “It offers new information to look at and it offers an opportunity to understand people in a much deeper way.”
But, as Powell agreed, Luis said you first need to learn about yourself.
“Make sure that you know yourself, you know where you come from, you know things about you that make you unique, and then learn about other people,” he said. “Because that’ll give you the experience and the skills you need to learn about other people.”
Besides talking about diversity on the whole, Powell also spoke to the kids about how women should be treated as equals, how not to judge a book by its cover, and to be proud of who you are and where you came from.
Mount Sinai Middle School Principal Pete Pramataris said he agreed, telling the smaller peer support group in a session after the presentation that he used to be made fun of and be ashamed of his Greek heritage.
“Do some homework and be more comfortable with who you are,” he told the students.
Powell said he loves doing what makes him happy, adding that to him, it doesn’t feel like work.
“I can see it in young people’s eyes when they’re paying attention; when they feel someone is actually listening to them and their voices matter,” he said. “This generation has been exposed to stuff that we couldn’t even imagine and it’s my job to be a bridge or a facilitator. I’m not going to go up there and give an hour lecture. I want to let them know that I hear them and that I believe in them.”
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