Susan Henshaw Jones has revitalized the South Street Seaport Museum

By Ashley Welch

Susan Henshaw Jones had her work cut out for her when she became the president of the South Street Seaport Museum in the fall of 2011.

Earlier that year, financial struggles forced the maritime museum to lay off most of its staff and shut down. Jones, the Ronay Menschel director of the Museum of the City of New York, which took over the South Street Seaport Museum on an interim basis, was charged with the task of revitalizing the deteriorating museum.

Since then, the museum has reopened with a mix of historical and contemporary exhibitions, from installations featuring the former fisherman life of the area to photographs of Occupy Wall Street. The museum also offers an education program for preschoolers and grade-school children, in which 15,000 students have participated.

For Jones, the preservation of the 11 vessels that make up the Seaport fleet was one of the most difficult aspects of taking on the job. Before she assumed leadership of the museum, all 11 boats were closed to the public. Since then, two have reopened, with one, the Pioneer, running as a sailing vessel over the summer.

Yet, nothing could prepare Jones for the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

“Sandy was the biggest and most unexpected of challenges we have faced,” she said.

The storm left 5 to 7 feet of water in each of the museum buildings. In addition, all of the mechanical and electrical systems on Schermerhorn Row, a block of six historic counting houses built in the 1800s, were made inoperable and will need to be replaced, something that has hindered the museum’s ability to fully reopen. Currently, the museum is only accessible by stairs.

“We will be without elevators, escalators, and permanent heat and air conditioning for some time to come,” Jones said.

The ships, however, made it through Sandy just fine.

“They rode out the storm beautifully,” she said.

Sandy was just one of the many obstacles Jones has seen the Seaport Museum face over time. She started her career in the John Lindsay administration in the 1970s, when she worked on the affairs of the museum during her time at the Mayor’s office of Lower Manhattan Development. It was then when she developed a strong connection to the neighborhood and museum.

“Those days made me believe in the unique mission of the Seaport Museum,” she said.
When asked about the future of the Seaport Museum, Jones was hesitant to give details, saying that the agreement with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs will conclude in April 2013 and “we will have to see about the future then.” But she remained hopeful that it will remain an important cultural institution in the city.

“The Seaport and City Museum missions are very much compatible,” she said, “and with strong city and community support, the Seaport Museum has the potential to be a strong anchor and key institution in the Seaport district and for the City. After all, our greatness as a city is very much based on its past as a seaport.”

According to the USDA, men ages 31 to 50 need to eat 350 percent more dark green vegetables and 150 percent more fruit per day than they currently do in order to meet federal dietary guidelines.

Ideally, more fruits and veggies are the answer, but in today’s stop-and-go society, this is most likely not the reality.
That’s where vitamin supplements come in. But how do you know which vitamins to take and whether they are safe? Is there such a thing as too many vitamins?

Though consulting a doctor is always your best bet, we recently spoke with some experts and compiled this list of tips on taking vitamins in the healthiest, most effective way.

What Basic Vitamins Should Men Be Taking?
Nutritionist Laura Cipullo recommended a basic daily multivitamin to help compensate for the vitamins and minerals that are not being obtained from a regular diet.

“Start with a simple, straightforward vitamin that you would take with breakfast or with food to make sure you’re meeting all of your micronutrient needs,” she said.

Cipullo, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator who maintains her private practice, Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services, in the Union Square area, said checking the label is a good idea to assure you are not taking in too many vitamins.

“It does not need to be a mega dosage,” she said. “It just needs to say that it has 100 percent of the daily requirements. Something like 5,000 percent is way too much.”

In addition to a multivitamin, Cipullo suggested omega-3 fatty acid supplements for men who consume little to no fish throughout the week. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis. They may also assist in memory and brain performance.
Cipullo said vitamin D supplements may also be a good idea, as many men are deficient in that area. If a man is allergic to or does not consume many dairy products, calcium supplements should also be taken.

What Happens If Men Take Too Many Vitamins?
There can certainly be too much of a good thing, including vitamins.
“More isn’t better,” said Nicolette Pace, a registered, certified dietitian and nutritionist based in New York City. “Vitamins interact with metabolic processes and when there’s too much in the body, it can cause problems.”
For example, an excess of vitamin A can cause damage to the liver, while too much of vitamin B6 can cause permanent neurological damage.

Other side effects of too many vitamins can include constipation, confusion, weakness and loss of appetite.
“It’s definitely a word of caution,” said Pace, who founded and operates the nutrition company NutriSource Inc. “You don’t go for the super ultra-dose of vitamins and expect everything to work perfectly.”

Do Certain Vitamins Help with Specific Health Concerns?
For men trying to lose weight, Pace suggested taking a balanced multivitamin.

“Many nutrients are often knocked out of the diet when someone is trying to lose weight, so as a general rule, it’s best to take a multivitamin while dieting,” she said.

In contrast, creatine, thiamine and zinc may help men who are looking to gain weight.

Vitamins may also aid in treating infertility. Smoking, drinking alcohol and a poor diet can all influence infertility, and Pace recommended looking at those factors before turning to supplements. However, she noted that research shows vitamins C and E, as well as the mineral selenium, help increase fertility.

“Studies of men taking these vitamin supplements showed improvement in the movement of the sperm and resulted in higher pregnancy rates,” she said.

What Should Men Look Out for on Labels?
As with food, consumers should also read the list of ingredients on vitamin bottles.

“You should always know what’s in your vitamins,” Cipullo said. “Maybe you’re picking up a multivitamin and you see the company has added in an herb that there hasn’t been much research on or you have an allergy to.”

Cipullo also noted that since many vitamins are coated, consumers should watch for ingredients they do not recognize.
“Preferably it’s just a list of the actual vitamins that are supposed to be in there, rather than a list of artificial colors and preservatives,” she said.

Bottom Line
Solely relying on vitamin supplements is never a good idea. “Food should always come first,” Cipullo said.
However, supplements are a healthy way to make up for what your diet is lacking.

It is also important to speak with a doctor about the vitamins you intend on taking and whether or not they will interact with any medication you are on.

Elisha Goldstein

Author offers techniques for reducing stress by staying in the present

Whether worrying about the future or rehashing the past, it may always seem difficult to focus on the present. However, Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D, makes the case in his new book, The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life, that living in the moment can lead to a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. “The Now Effect‚ is those moments of clarity during the day when we connect to what really matters at any given time,” Goldstein said.
Research shows that how people pay attention and what they pay attention to affects how the brain grows. Sensory overload and numerous distractions from what is going on in the present moment allow the brain to go on autopilot, allowing the mind to make decisions automatically. Goldstein argues that by becoming aware of our thought processes, we have the ability to rewire how we think, stop automatic thoughts and choose to think differently. Life is decided, he said, in these spaces, or “choice points,” where we can decide how to respond to what is going on around us.
“We have the ability to retrain our subconscious mind to be more present to what‚ here right now,” he said.
In The Now Effect, Goldstein highlights several benefits of living in the present. These include focusing better at work and at home and opening up to feelings of love, hope, empathy and compassion. It also lends itself to increased emotional intelligence and the ability to relax more effectively in moments of distress. Goldstein offered the following example:
“Say you are walking down the street and in the distance you see an acquaintance. As you walk closer, you smile and wave but he doesn’t look at you and just walks by. If you are in a good mood, you may think, ‘Oh, he didn’t see me’ but if you’re anxious or depressed, you may think, ‘Is he mad at me? Did I do something wrong?’ and become insecure.”
Goldstein said that becoming aware of how our moods affect our perception of situations can help us relax and gain control over our emotions so we can alter how we react to what goes on in our lives. In addition, Goldstein said being present in the here and now can allow for greater connections, both internally and to others, and help us be more flexible in decision making and responses to people and challenges. Finally, the now effect can open us up to what is good in life.
“Our brains are naturally inclined to anxiety and negativity,” Goldstein said. “We can train our minds to focus more on the positive.”
So what keeps us from being able to live in the present?
Goldstein said that our greatest gift as humans may also be our greatest curse.
“The biggest barrier to being in the present is the same thing that sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom,” he said. “That’s our ability to think, reflect, formulate plans and exert free will.”
Whether we are anxiously awaiting tomorrow or fixating on what happened a year ago, many people find it hard to live in the moment because they are wondering what could or what would have happened.
“The No. 1 thing that takes us away from the present is playing the ‘what if?’ game,” he said.
In the book, Goldstein offers practical techniques to counter this kind of thinking and bring readers back to the now.
The simplest technique, he said, is to ask the questions, “Where am I starting from now? What is my body doing? Where is my mind?”
“Doing that,” said Goldstein, “widens the space between stimulus and response.”
Another method is to use what he calls present nostalgia to connect ourselves to what really matters.
“Project yourself into the future and ask yourself what the more distant you would say you’re missing in this very moment,” he said. “It’s a way of tricking your brain to think with more perspective.”
Goldstein also offers simple breathing exercises, recommending envisioning breathing in to keep calm and breathing out to release burdens. He also warns of the disconnected culture we live in. Facebook, Twitter and other social media may make us feel we are connected to others, he said, but that is only a surface connection. He recommends focusing on real relationships in the present.
Goldstein provides video demonstrations of these practical techniques accessible via Microsoft Tags throughout the book and embedded videos throughout the e-book.
He emphasized that The Now Effect is not a universal guide; the techniques can be tailored by individuals to what suits them.
“As readers go through the book, I don’t want them to swallow it whole,” he said. “I want them to use the book as a guide and see what works for them. What is most valuable is the person’s experience.”

Class at Rebecca School, which teaches children with autism. Photo courtesy of Rebecca School

Autism now affects one in 88 children in the United States, according to a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month. That’s a 23 percent increase over the last two years and a 78 percent increase in the last decade.

Doctors and experts agree that this staggering jump may bring feelings of fear and confusion to an already little understood disorder.

The cause of autism, a neurological developmental disorder, is still unknown, though most science currently available points to a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. Similarly, the cause of the recent increase is not fully understood; it’s unclear whether the number represents more cases or simply better detection and screening.

“The most important thing is that there are more kids who are identified with autism spectrum disorders, so we need to plan accordingly for services that address that,” said Dr. Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and Columbia. “No matter why they’re there, they clearly exist.”

The actual diagnosis of autism can be just as confusing.

The three most common disorders on the autism spectrum are autism, Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD NOS). Autism is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.

Asperger’s syndrome is considered to be on the high end of the autism spectrum; the symptoms are less severe and people with this disorder tend to preserve linguistic and cognitive development. PDD NOS is the diagnosis used to describe individuals who do not fully meet the criteria for autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

Dr. Andrew Gerber, assistant professor of clinical psychology and director of the Developmental Neuropsychology Program at Columbia University, said this last diagnosis tends to be the most difficult for parents to understand because it does not seem to be defined.

“It can be terribly confusing,” he said, “because it could mean so many different things.”

However, Gerber emphasizes that the focus should not be on the diagnosis but on the individual needs of the child.

“The optimal model of care is to focus on a description of your child’s strengths and weaknesses and what we can do to bolster the child’s strengths and address his or her weaknesses,” he said.

The diagnosis is important, however, to help families get the services they are entitled to.

While it varies from state to state, children in New York with PDD NOS are entitled to the same services as those with other disorders on the autism spectrum, though they may be entitled to fewer hours of service. These include early intervention for children under 3, which can consist of at-home educational treatments and occupational, language and speech therapy. When kids get older, they are eligible for special preschools, which are run by both for-profit and nonprofit agencies.

All school-aged children are entitled to “free and appropriate” public education, according to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Insurance companies may also pay for some services like speech, language and behavioral therapy, as well.

Children and adults with PDD NOS are treated similarly to those with other disorders on the autism spectrum. The most well-studied method of treatment is applied behavioral analysis, which relies on intensive behavioral intervention and teaches targeted skills and behaviors through positive reinforcement.

“It encompasses a lot of different techniques, but they all involve the idea that you learn to do things in a certain situation by recognizing the signs that now is a good time to act in a certain way, then you are rewarded for acting in that way,” Lord explained.

A perhaps lesser-known model, the developmental individual differences relationship-based model, is utilized by Rebecca School, a private day school for children with autism in Manhattan.

“We focus on relationships as the foundation of learning and pay close attention to each child’s individual needs,” said Dr. Gil Tippy, the school’s clinical director.

Instead of using reinforcement, Tippy said, children learn to relate, communicate and think critically about the world through developing relationships with teachers, staff and each other.

There has been an ongoing push to change the definition of autism in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The new criteria is more restrictive and would combine the three subgroups of the autism spectrum into one category, requiring children to exhibit more pronounced symptoms to qualify for the diagnosis.

Some fear that these changes will reduce the number of people who are diagnosed with autism and qualify for treatment.

“The main concern that I have is that state and federal governments and health care providers will use the new severity scale to exclude those people who look like their ASD [autism spectrum disorder] is less severe,” said Tippy.

However, opposing voices say the new changes will help improve autism diagnoses.

“These redefinitions are part of a general effort to improve all diagnoses in mental health,” Lord said. “It’s not that autism was picked out specifically. The American Psychiatric Association periodically tries to look at what has been learned in the last decade or two to make the definitions more accurate.”

The police chased Joseph, a young African-American teen, through an alley, firing at him a few times before he was stopped by a group of black men wearing leather coats and berets. They surrounded him in a military-style formation and told him to go home after informing the police that he was not a looter.

The next day, Joseph went to school and declared that he was going to be a black militant. At the age of 15, he joined the Black Panther Party, a revolutionary organization formed in 1966 to advocate for the rights of African Americans in the United States.

In his new memoir, “Panther Baby: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention,” Joseph, now a Columbia University professor, chronicles his time as one of the youngest members of the Black Panthers.

“The idea for the book came when people I spoke to, in particular young people, asked me what it was like back then,” he said in a telephone interview.

Joseph grew up in the Bronx and was raised by his adoptive grandparents, from whom he received his first encounter with activism. Lifelong members of the NAACP, both participated in rallies, marches and fundraisers for blacks living in the South, where their parents were slaves.

“I grew up hearing stories about the horrors of slavery and lynching and the KKK,” he said. “They told first-person narratives of what racism was about.”

In high school, Joseph was an honor student and choirboy. He was drawn to the Black Panthers by his feelings of hurt and anger after King’s assassination and by the “swagger and strength of the party.”

“If I was going to be a black militant, I was going to be part of the most militant group out there,” he said.

At 16, his involvement with the group landed him in prison on Rikers Island. He was charged with conspiracy in 1969 as one of the Panther 21 in one of the most symbolic criminal cases of the decade.

After he was acquitted of the charges two years later, he became the youngest spokesperson and leader of the Panthers’ New York Chapter. He was later sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for hiding members of the organization who were wanted by the FBI.

Joseph earned two degrees behind bars and found a new calling in the arts, writing several plays and two volumes of poetry while in prison. Today, Joseph is a celebrated filmmaker, having written, produced and directed several documentaries. He is a professor and chairperson of Columbia’s School of the Arts film division.

In 2008, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Raise It Up” on the soundtrack of August Rush. The song was performed by Impact Repertory Theater, a youth activist and performing arts organization based in Harlem that Joseph and his wife, Joyce, cofounded with other members of the community.

Joseph said he enjoys working with youth and hopes “Panther Baby” will help inspire the next generation of activists.

“For young people who read it, I want them to understand how much power they have to make a difference,” he said. “I also hope that for people who lived through the ’60s, it validates what we tried to do at that time. Finally, in terms of what still needs to be done, I hope it inspires people and lets them know that it’s not too late. Activism, just like dreams, doesn’t have an expiration date.”

- Ashley Welch