Author Archives: GeraldPalmieri

Letter to future students

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Dear future learning community students, my name is gerald Palmieri and if you are lucky enough to be a part of these duel wielded classes them pay attention. I learned a lot in my English and speech classes. Having good professors helped but also the new matieral is very useful in life. I really enjoyed my speech class because it helped me overcome a fear of speaking in front of people confidently. You will be learning a lot including the different types of speeches like persuasive and informative. English class was also very interesting to me because of how I learned a lot about the history of Brooklyn. You will read many types of stories, explore their meanings and their authors and why they wrote them. One of my favorite stories was about the music and culture of fort greene park back in the day. I am not a Brooklyn native and after learning more about the area I was really intrigued and intend to learn and visit more. Both these classes coexist as many assignments you will do in one class will carry over to your other class and will be similar. My advice would be to find a place you really enjoy around the area because many projects that you will be doing will revolve around memorable places in brooklyn around city tech. All in all the learning community program was a success because of all I’ve learned and I made some pretty great friends too.

Fort Greene Park

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Brooklyn has an underated history that is sometime forgotten due to other big events. One part of Brooklyn that shares a rich history and is still relevant to the bourough is Fort Greene Park. Many important names surface like William howard Taft and Walt Whiteman are known with the past of the park. Parts of Fort Greene Park like the Prison Ship Martyr Monuement are a big attraction to not just the park but Brooklyn. The past and present of Brooklyn live in Fort Greene Park through its attractions and each tell different stories about it.

Fort Greene Park is home to many attractions but one that really stands out and caught my eye paticuraly was the Prison Ship monument. This monuement is over a century old and was created to honor brave people during the revoulutionary war. Over 11,500 men and women died and were then buried in the crypt. The prison ship monument gets its name simply because the british vessel was used as prison for soldiers of the thirteen colonies fighting against Britain for freedom. Not even physical torture but many of these prisoners died from over crowding, contaminated water, starvation and disease. Bodies were then tossed along shore disrespectfully like rag dolls. This was brutal and cruel and it was not only men enduring this pain but women and children too. After winning our freedom in the war, a way to honor all these brave people was in order. Major general Nathanael Greene supervised the creation of the monument. After the war of 1812, it was then rebuilt after it was presumed safe to begin its unveiling. The remains of the prisoners were then brought to the site in 1873 where they were put into the 25 by 11 foot brick vault. The Bronze urn that is the prison ship martyr monument still stands stall in Fort Greene park and is remembered and honored throughout people in Brooklyn.

In Fort Greene Park today it is a very family oriented place that can be very enjoyable for anyone taking a trip there. From their barbecuing areas to there nature center you can do almost any outdoor activity there. The playgrounds that they  have for kids are very accsessible for kids of all ages from swings, ramped play equipment, transfer platforms and ground level play features. My personal favorite, the basketball court is not just used for free play but can be used for organized league with proper permission and a permit. It just goes to the prestige that Fort Greene Park holds. The park is also very animal friendly specially for dogs. They hold many dog friendly areas in the park. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times and and no longer than 6 feet. The fitness path for joggers is also available which is 1.75 miles per lap around which is good if someone is trying to stay or get into shape. Additional aspects to the park include a tennis court, spray showers and Wi-Fi Hot spots. Fort Greene park is more than just your average park but a get together spot that a whole day can be spent there. 

The Prison Ship Monument in the park is a key part of the park because it was such a big part of who we are as a country today. It was declared to be in Fort greene Park because its signifigance to its creator Major General Nathanial Greene. It is also where Fort Greene park gets its name. It fits in nicely with the rest of fort greene park and its various activities. The park has future plans as well such as an atheltic center. They are also planning on allowing more areas where dogs can access to make it more animal friendly too. The history of the prison ship martyr monument and the current state of the park are relevant to each other because the monument was the first and only part of the park long ago. The “fort” soon became a park and a place where all people can visit. The park also used to be known as washington park which shows its roots to the revolutuonary war. As you know, George Washington was the General who led the charge in the war for freedom. nycgovparks.org calls it a “magnet for all visitors from all walks of life” You can also hold special events in the park which you do need a permit for however. The Fort Greene Park is monumental in the sense of the perfect place for comfort and history.

Fort Greene park is a great place to bring family, find tranquility and a good place to visit to learn a lot about the history of the surronding area. You can go to play sports or even walk your dog, it brings a classic park feel with a little extra which is a taste of history. The Prison ship martyr monument provides something that people in the park can go and views and give you an upclose look at what our pre mature country was fightng for. The Fort Greene Park is a common place to go for people who live in the area of brooklyn and is fun for recreational and historical purposes.

 

“Fort Greene Park” – Letitia James,  https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/beinginbrooklynf2013/

Article- mindful walker, September 30th, 2010. Fort Greene Park muesum and visitors center.

 

Prison Ship Martyr Monument

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I am new to the area of Brooklyn so coming to City Tech was a little bit of scary thing for me. After my trip to the Brooklyn Historical Society, I became very interested in what else Brooklyn had to offer. Therefore, as I started my personal walking tour in FortGreene I stumbled upon a Giant tower like figure. I soon learned that this was the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. This monument stands for a New Jersey Militia during the American Revolution that soon became Prisoners on board a British vessel.prison_ship_martyrs_fort_greene_park_brooklyn

Getting to to the prison ship monuement was not that hard even though I am not familar with the area of Brooklyn. From City Tech I go to Johnson street. On your way you should see the polytechnic institute of technology. It is a very prestigous building with high honor. When you keep going a little further you are going to make a right onto Flatbush Avenue. You will see a small metropolitan market as you make an upcoming left onto Myrtle avenue. Long Island University is will then come up on the left. I gave it a good look as i was most impressed with the school. Finally when you get to Fort Greene.

The remains of these prisoners were decided to be built in a 25 by 11 foot brick vault because of how important the preservation of this was. In 1905, a crypt was created where you can go up a flight of stairs that go around the monument. This was made so that it could be honored properly by all people who came to visit. The man who sculpted it was Adolph Alexander Weinman in 1908. An elevator and stairs for the interior were installed in 1937; both were removed in 1948 after the monument was renovated by Parks. In 1970 the elevator pit was filled in.

            During the American Revolution, The British imprisoned all Americans that were mostly soldiers because of independence. The conditions upon the ship were said to be horrendous and many soldiers died because of it. When the war ended, the deaths were said to be in the tens of thousands. That is why this memorial is significant. It is because of the brutality that these soldiers had to go through just to fight for our freedom. In 1783, a local newspaper tried to deny these actions and said “they were allowed to leave whenever they pleased”. America said this was propaganda, which is news, or anything that is heard a lie. The number of deaths which was 10,000 plus was a big deal considering a large army back then was about 14,000. The prisoners wrote down memoirs too explaining every detail of what was going on.

             The memorial lies in Brooklyn and cannot be missed considering its great size. It is sited in FortGreenePark and it holds a crypt, which is a kind of grave. It is located inside the monument, which has stairs between the middle of it that you can climb. It is over 140 feet high and can blend in with some of the surrounding buildings. Inside the crypt contains many wooden coffins of some of the prisoners. Not all if the bodies are in there as some of them weren’t found or could not be preserved.

The monument also has an inscription on it which states “IN THE NAME OF THE SPIRITS OF THE DEPARTED FREE / SACRED TO THE
MEMORY OF THAT PORTION OF AMERICAN SEAMEN, SOLDIERS / ON BOARD THE
PRISON SHIPS OF THE BRITISH DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY / WAR AT THE
WALL ABOUT. THIS IS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE VAULT / WHICH CONTAINS
THEIR RELICS. ERECTED BY THE TAMMANY SOCIETY/OF THE COLUMBIAN
ORDER OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. THE GROUND FOR / WHICH WAS BESTOWED
BY JOHN JACKSON, NASSAU ISLAND, SEASON OF/BLOSSOMS, YEAR OF
DISCOVERY, THE 316TH. OF THE INSTITUTION THE 19TH AND OF AMERICAN
INDEPENDENCE THE 32ND, APRIL THE 6TH, 1808”

It states that the importance of this prison tower cannot be tampered with and it is part of the city. Brooklyn has a rich history and the Prison ship martyr monument in Fort Greene Park is a big part of that.

Sources:  http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/FortGreenePark/monuments/1222 -My quote

http://www.themorningnews.org/post/prison-ship-martyrs-monument

 

 

9th avenue

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From this map it seems that 9th and 10th avenue are always fairly busy. Like other readings, Saul only seems to like New York and nowhere else. He criticizes everywhere else and cannot get enough of New York. The funny thing is too that he is only referring to two blocks and comparing them to everywhere else. The map really emphasizes New York and the other locations on the map do not seem to be important. This is also evidence that he favors New York a lot. However, he places the Hudson River very close to Jersey on the map which is pretty inaccurate. The buildings and surroundings that are placed in the area of 9th and 10th avenue are correct. The map portrays that he only had knowledge of that area and that’s it. This map could be on some sort of New York magazine because of how much it shows the New York life is a great way of life. It is also opinion based and not everyone would prefer to live in New York which is why Saul is being biased as well.

A walk in Brooklyn

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Me and Film Director Spike Lee share one thing in common and that is a love of basketball. We both love watching the New York Knicks. So I decided to take myself on a mini trip of my own to 180 Washington Park where Spike used to reside. It is quite the home, it has many floors and the inside is quite magnificent. One of the reasons I am so fond of it is because of who previously owned it. Spike Lee is a mogul in his neighborhood and iconic in the world of film. Just seeing that house would give someone goosebumps as you gazed and wondered “this is where greatness was in the works”.

Some of the places I noticed in the surrounding area was LIU campus not too far. I also discovered many places of worship like the French Speaking Bapist Church of Brooklyn, Institutional church of god in Christ and The church of Michael and St.Edward. You can infer from all these places that the people of the area practice many different religions and are serious about them too. On my back I also saw Prison ship Martyrs Monuement. That landmark signifies the 11,500 american prisoners who were captured by british ships and eventually were all killed. It’s said that even the remains of some captives lay at the base of this glorious tower. This really fasinated me and had me thinking about how important Brooklyn really is. It is a lively area full of culture at every corner of its streets. Spike Lee realized that and decided to strive off of them.

Fort Greene

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The passage “Fort Greene Dreams” is about the personal life and rise to success of mufti-talented Nelson George and how his moving to Fort Greene changed his life. He talks about the area he grew up in and how it began with a phone call from director Spike Lee. He talked about how growing up in Brooklyn as a kid was nothing like it was living in Fort Greene. He was even robbed while living there and that’s when he figured things would be different from where he grew up. However ironically enough he had much success after his move. He wrote five books at 19 Willoughby including his involvement in movies like “The Death of Rhythm and Blues” and “Shes gotta have it”. He is very passionate about what he loves to do and said he would “drown” in all his accomplishments of work. To Nelson, it is not about him being with all these famous people but to see the area of Brooklyn flourishing with so much success and artistic culture.  Throughout this time as well he met many famous people and got his name known quick. Slowly Nelson became a mentor to all up and coming artists, film makers etc. That were on the rise. He even wrote and produced his own screenplays. Yet as much as his career was taking off, he still kept it simple by getting takeout and going to his favorite restaurants. Due to his small mistake though to this day he still mourns the loss of his personalized soul train jacket was stolen while signing for a Fed-ex package. That was the least memorable moment of him in Fort Greene but one thing he did love was working with so many up and coming artists as well as other young talents. He believed in making an impact in the entertainment business and doing what he loved.

Project #1 : Introducing Yourself

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My name is Gerald Palmieri and I am striving to become a mogul in the business world. I attended CSI high school for international studies where I took a finance class that sparked my sudden interest in the stock market, business, as well as accounting. As well as this I like to play and watch sports as well as attend sporting events. Football is my favorite sport to watch as the excitement and action of it gets my blood flowing. I work at a restaurant called the West Shore in Staten Island which is also where I reside. I have three siblings, two sisters and one brother. All and all I am very satisfied with my life thus far and hope to continue to reach for success at City Tech.

My avatar seems pretty blunt but to me it means a lot. My avatar is a simple sunset with a lighthouse in the back round. I am going for the typical college look for I am trying to be a mature person in college. I wouldn’t say I was a reckless person but I tend to be very lazy and do not get top priorities done until the last minute as you can see from the lateness of this post. However, when I do finish my work on time or even earlier it is top notch and considerably good. Besides the point, I am trying to be typical but be my own person at the same time. That is the vibe I am trying to portray with my avatar.

Like any picture, it can be worth a thousand words or thoughts. My avatar also can convey that theory as some people might get that wrong idea. Some people that my avatar is blank which can indicate that my major is undecided and I don’t know what I want to with my life yet. It could also indicate that my life is filled with happiness and that everything is going smoothly so far in college. Whatever the case may be, I hope to meet new people and have a good college experience and that is exactly is what I think of when I look at my avatar.

For my profile, I hope it branches out the message to fellow students at City Tech that I am willing to meet new people. A lot of the reason of why I was so eager to attend college was not just to begin my life and whole new education, but was to meet new people. I always love making new friends with similar interests. I believe that goes for anyone making a profile. If you are writing a bio about yourself that will be viewed among people, then you want to be honest and clear about yourself. A profile can be interpreted as a first impression too because first time visitors to your profile could be interested in what they read about you. They could have similar interests and could want to meet up in school. That is how potential great friendships begin. A profile must also be professional too because you never know who can be looking whether it is a future employer or even a college. Generally a profile is a small excerpt of who you are.