________ Franklin square/elmont _______
HERALD A superintendent says goodbye
Elmont man to serve 25 to life
Programs for mental health
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Vol. 25 No. 28
JUlY 6 - 12, 2023
$1.00
Changing the image of Haiti New documentary shows faith, resiliency in beleaguered nation By REINE BETHANY rbethany@liherald.com
Billy Harrison/Herald
I did it! Walter Rubi couldn’t contain his excitement at New Hyde Park Memorial High School’s commencement on June 25. Story, more photos, Pages 3, 6.
With poignant music, haunting images and stark honesty, a new documentary, “Ayiti Pap Peri,” bears witness to the courageous love of Haitians — including a large number in Uniondale — for their homeland. The film’s title means “Haiti will not perish.” It is the third documentary about Haiti by its award-winning producer, Cassandre Thrasybule. “‘Ayiti Pap Peri’ is a film to try to change the narrative about Haiti,” Thrasybule said. The Caribbean nation of 11.4 million people is known to out-
siders for poverty, crime, political upheavals and devastating earthquakes. The documentary acknowledges its difficulties, but refutes the negative perceptions by showing effective remedies developed by Haitians themselves. Thrasybule began work on the film in 2019. At the time, Haiti was still recovering from the 7.2-magnitude quake that struck on Jan. 12, 2010, demolishing many structures in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and killing as many as 300,000 people. The documentary follows three groups of Haitians: some who chose not to leave the counContinued on page 6
250 UBS interns create care packages for needy youth By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
Internships usually entail coffee runs, copy making and other clerical tasks, but the summer interns at UBS are receiving a hands-on and meaningful experience of giving back to the community they work in. Roughly 250 interns took part in the global firm’s longstanding Intern Day of Service tradition on June 28 at UBS Arena in Elmont, creating snack and hygiene kits to donate to two nonprofits — Green Bronx Machine and Jersey Cares. As a result, the junior colleagues got a chance to partake
in philanthropy, network with one another and learn about UBS’s culture of service, officials said. “It’s not just important to us as employees, but it’s important to our clients as well,” said Ar mand Biroonak, head of employee engagement, community impact for UBS Americas. “They’re really focused and passionate about supporting their communities and making an impact.” At the event, interns worked with representatives from Jersey Cares, one of UBS’s many volunteer partners in the tristate area, to assemble hundreds of the kits filled with snacks and hygiene
items, such as menstrual products, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and other essentials. Each bag was personally decorated by the interns and packaged with a heartfelt card. “Service is something that I’ve always been passionate about,” Abha Rathi, a UBS summer intern, said. “Supporting a new local community is really fun and wonderful.” Green Bronx Machine is a grassroots and community-drive non-profit that builds healthy, equitable and resilient communities through inspired education and local food systems. The group had served as an afterschool program for high school
students, but has now evolved into a kindergarten through 12th grade model. The program integrates core education curriculum with project-based STEAM learning experiences, health, wellness, cooking, culinary and garden programs, as well as workforce development connected to the organization’s urban farms.
Founder Stephen Ritz works with South Bronx students to grow their own vegetables for them to eat. He and the Green Bronx Machine student community have grown more than 165,000 pound of vegetables in the Bronx, while improving academic performance in schools. Many of Ritz’s students come Continued on page 16