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A River of Resilience: Navigating Water Governance in the Colorado River Basin
No full textThis paper explores how climate change, the Southwestern North American megadrought, rapid population growth, the overallocation of water entitlements, and excessive consumption impact the Colorado River Basin’s water supply. The Colorado River basin will not be able to sustain its water supply for the forty million people depending on it across the seven basin states– Arizona, Colorado, California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming– in addition to the two Mexican states, Sonora and Baja California unless consumption is reduced to regulate the basin’s decreasing supply. Despite its critical role in supplying water to millions of people and the challenges posed by the Southwestern North American megadrought, civil society largely overlooks the Colorado River basin\u27s overconsumption. Chapter 1 provides quantitative data on the degradation of neighboring ecosystems and their services, alongside the basin’s decline in water supply due to overconsumption and miscalculated governmental allocations, increasing evaporation, and reduced precipitation and snowmelt inflow, underscoring the need for improved infrastructure and enforceable federal regulations. Chapter 2 outlines the percentage of the basin’s water supply used commercially within agricultural, livestock, and commercial industries and examines its economic, environmental, and social costs. Chapter 3 delves into the rural, suburban, and urban planning related to the basin’s existing water infrastructure and management, assessing infrastructure inefficiencies. Chapter 4 surveys the contemporary state of the Colorado River basin’s federal politics and laws, highlighting the political exploitation of Indigenous tribes, Mexico, and ecosystems from historical allocations and how these exclusions have disproportionately made marginalized groups more vulnerable to climate change and limited water accessibility. Chapter 5 proposes policy recommendations aimed at: restoring and preserving nearby ecosystems degraded by current water infrastructure, consumption rates, the megadrought, or climate change, reliably allocating water supplies for industries, Indigenous Peoples, Mexico, and every basin state, and advancing existing water infrastructure to prevent losses within storage and distribution systems to establish a sustainable and equitable water source for Southwest people of the United States
Ronald Woods
No full textRonald Woods was born in 1955 in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City. He grew up in the Amsterdam NYCHA housing project before leaving to fight in Vietnam in 1972. The neighborhood was partially demolished in the 1960s during the construction of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Fordham\u27s Lincoln Center campus.
In this oral history recorded by Fordham students in the VART 2222: Art of the Interview class led by professor Catalina Alvarez, Woods tells stories of the neighborhood before the construction project. He recounts the community relationships of the time and how the neighborhood has changed in the years since
Shapiro, Sandra Sandy
No full textSandy discusses her experiences during World War II as a young girl and how those experiences shaped her life. Also, Sandy recounts her childhood memories of blackouts and brownouts during the war and her later discovery of the Holocaust\u27s devastation, including the betrayal of Jewish residents in Amsterdam. She emphasized that her experience was more historical than personal memory. She also shares personal stories of friends and family affected by the Holocaust. Sandy reflects on how the influence of her parents\u27 honesty, kindness, and activism, the idealism of post-WWII democracy, and the importance of seeking evidence over belief shaped her character, along with their education which encouraged critical thinking. The discussion covered how wartime experiences and post-war ideals influenced personal and community values. She discussed her experiences as a mother and professional woman, highlighting the challenges of arranging child care in the U.S. compared to France. She emphasized her non-religious Jewish identity, influenced by her upbringing in New York. Sandy shared her mentoring roles at CUNY, where she helped students overcome personal and academic challenges. She also reflected on her career in psychotherapy, particularly her work with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma. Sandy advised listening, maintaining a scientific attitude, and recognizing interconnections in life. She offered insights into overcoming personal wounds and the importance of finding passion in one\u27s work
Polovsky, Terrie
No full textTerrie Polovsky, born around 1942 to a homemaker mother and hatmaker father, grew up in her beloved Parkchester, a vibrant community of 50,000 residents. She grew up forming relationships with people of all backgrounds, including Jews, Irish Catholics, Italians, African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. Polovsky emphasizes people of different faiths living in community, even remembering a case in which the Presbyterian church lent her synagogue its facilities when it fell victim to a fire. She notes the close partnership between the church and her synagogue - when the church’s monsignor died, her mother planted a tree in Israel in his memory.
Polovsky grew up in a religious home, but described her parents as liberal. Her family kept kosher and did not do homework on Saturdays, but did go shopping and partake in other leisure activities. Although they were Orthodox, her family felt more comfortable at a conservative synagogue, which became intrinsic to their community.
Polovsky loved school as a child: she attended PS 106, JHS 127, and James Monroe HS. She remembers learning French and Italian, and going on field trips to government-related sites for her joint English and social studies class. Polovsky loved language learning and pursued Yiddish classes in her spare time. She went on to study Spanish at Barnard College, and worked as a bilingual coordinator at JHS 98, which was challenging at times because she was not Hispanic. At the school, she spearheaded a program for the students’ parents to learn English, during which parents came to school for daily English classes and were taken on weekend field trips to places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, Bronx Zoo, and Yankee Stadium. She directed this program for ten years.
During the 1968-1969 teachers’ strikes, Polovsky was an active participant while pregnant with her first son. She also remembers fearing her husband would be drafted in the Vietnam War. Polovsky and her family moved to Manhattan from 1965 to 1967, but returned to the Bronx for another ten years. Around 1977 she moved to New Jersey and commuted to the Bronx for work until 1998. She now has two children and two grandchildren
Dombeck, Peggy
No full textPeggy Dombeck grew up in the East Bronx near Parkchester. She greatly enjoyed her childhood and was always playing games with kids in the neighborhood. She especially enjoyed ice skating and rollerblading, often heading into Manhattan alone on the subway to go ice skate. She also fondly recalls the ice cream man coming by everyday in his truck when she was a child or walking to the candy store around the corner and getting an ice cream cone for 10 cents. The building she grew up in was mainly Jewish, however her family was not very religious. She does however recall that on Passover every year her whole family would have a fun get together and have a large meal at her aunt\u27s house in the Bronx. Her family was very close and she had several relatives in the Bronx, all of which have now left the Bronx. Peggy attended Hunter College High School in Manhattan which was a special all girls public school and then eventually she went to college, studying sociology. When she was 20 she got married and moved to Texas where her husband in the Air Force was stationed. Her parents eventually relocated to Florida and everyone else she knew in the Bronx have also since moved away to other places. Living in Texas was her first time living away from the Bronx, however she enjoyed exploring a completely new place. After Texas, she and her husband moved to Long Island before Peggy eventually moved to California where she still lives today. She is now 81 and retired and very active. She goes dancing three times a week, is retired and loves living in California. Although she loved growing up in a big city as it exposed her to all different types of people and things, she enjoys now living in a smaller place. When reflecting back on her childhood and time in the Bronx all happy memories come to mind. All the kids in her neighborhood got along very well and Peggy recalls how wonderful of a mother she had
Schull, Rebecca
No full textRebecca Schull, born in 1929, recalls her early life in the Sholem Aleichem Houses in the Bronx where her family lived in the predominantly Jewish community. Her father was a lawyer who later worked for the American Technion Society, and her mother was a dietician raised in Tel Aviv, who studied quantity cooking at Columbia. Many members of her family were Zionists, her uncle was the artist Nachum Gutman and her grandfather the writer Simcha Ben Zion. She remembers the pleasant communal atmosphere of the Sholem Aleichem Houses, where socialism, communism and Yiddishism was commonplace. Her childhood was marked by a culturally Jewish but secular upbringing.
Schull attended PS 95 and Walton High School, and upon graduation went to study English at NYU. Schull met her future husband Gene while living in Greenwich Village, a Jewish man who served in the Navy during WWII and had become a photographer. Together they had three children, a son and two twin daugthers. Schull remembers balancing her life, graduate studies and raising her young family. Gene started working as a salesman, and her family moved around frequently. After living throughout Europe, they returned to Dublin where Schull began to pursue acting at the Focus Theater and was trained in the Stanislavski method. Later, she returned to New York to continue her career as an actress
Singer, William
No full textWilliam Singer was born in 1949 in a neighborhood known as Far Rockaway, Queens. When Mr. Singer was five years old, his parents moved to the Bronx, and he began living at 214 East 163rd Street. An area that Mr. Singer remembers is about 95% Jewish. An important element of his parents\u27 decision to move into the Bronx was being closer to his grandparents, who lived at 1155 Grand Concourse. While his family\u27s story is quite interesting, during his early childhood, he attended Public School 35, located across the street from what used to be St. Anne\u27sAnne\u27s Elementary School. He would attend this school from the 1st grade until the 6th grade. During his time at P.S. 35, Mr. Singer recalls the large Jewish majority within the school, stating that the school was around 70% Jewish and 30% other. It was also during this time that while his family was not particularly religious, he would begin to attend Cheder in order to conduct his studies for his Bar Mitzvahed. This after-school program will take place at Young Israel. While religion was not an enormous part of his childhood, describing his family as a Three Day Jew, he recalls how, during the Jewish Holiday, it would have been impossible to walk from 161st Street to Fordham Road due to the significant presence of Jewish people throughout the streets. While Mr. Singer can remember many different friends from his time growing up in the Bronx, interestingly, he was friends with Mickey Mantle Jr. when he lived in New York City from May until September. While he would enjoy many different activities with his friends, one of his favorite things was going to Yankee Stadium and trying to sneak into the game or get last-minute tickets. In fact, during the New York Giants vs. Baltimore Colts NFL championship game in 1958, Mr. Singer and his friend got two tickets. They had decided to get into the dugout and, while within the dugout, received a blanket and their first taste of Scotch from Willie Mays.
After attending elementary school, Mr. Singer attended J.H.S. 22, where he attended junior high school. For high school, he attended DeWitt Clinton, where Mr. Singer is remembered as very diverse, especially in his graduating class in 1964. During his time at Dewitt Clinton, he remembers the school\u27s fantastic education and sports teams. Furthermore, within his graduating class at DeWitt Clinton, he recalls a number of his classmates who had played basketball at school going on into different halls of fame. For example, Gary Austin and Willie Worsley both went on to play for the University of Texas El Paso. He was part of the team that made NCAA history when they became the first all-black basketball team to beat an all-white team in the NCAA National Championship. Once completing high school, Mr. Singer attended Long Island University and would later work in business. When asked what he thought changed the Bronx, Mr. Singer refers to the Cross Bronx Expressway construction and Co-OP city. He views the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway as having devastating effects due to the splitting up of communities within the borough. Furthermore, while Co-Op City was an affordable option for many Jewish families to move to, he also views this event as one of the downturns for the South Bronx
Klipper, Stuart
No full textStuart Klipper was born in 1941 and grew up in the Bronx, first living on Hoe Avenue and later on the Grand Concourse. His family background reflects Eastern European Jewish heritage, with his father’s side from Lithuania and his mother’s side from Galicia. Klipper’s childhood was shaped by the rich cultural life of the Bronx, frequent visits to the Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Garden, and an early interest in art and photography. He recalls a deep love for reading, art, and exploring New York City’s museums, which would later influence his career as a photographer.
Klipper attended P.S. 66 and Herman Ridder Junior High before going to the High School of Music & Art, where he specialized in visual arts. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he further developed his photography practice. Over his career, he traveled extensively, capturing images from all seven continents, with a focus on landscapes, cultural life, and environmental themes. Despite living in various parts of the country, Klipper often reflects on how the Bronx shaped his worldview, its density, diversity, and vibrant street life influencing his artistic sensibility.
He recalls the strong Jewish community of his youth, neighborhood stores and delis, and the ways Jewish and immigrant identity shaped social life. Klipper speaks warmly of the intellectual curiosity fostered in his family and neighborhood, contrasting it with the changes he’s witnessed over time in the Bronx
Dr. Ernest Patti
No full textSummarized by Lauren Payne
Dr. Ernest Patti, an ER attending physician at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, shared his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. He detailed the hospital\u27s transition from a Level 1 to a Level 2 trauma center due to resource constraints. Patty described the increased patient volume, with over 100,000 patients annually, and the emotional toll of treating critically ill COVID-19 patients without visitors. He highlighted the community\u27s support, including food donations and personal protective equipment. Patti also mentioned the loss of colleagues and the importance of teamwork in managing the pandemic
Reef Ecosystem Conservation for the Hawaiian Islands: The Impacts of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Benthic Reef Populations
No full textThis paper explores the anthropogenic effects of rapid climate change and ocean acidification on benthic coral populations along the Hawaiian archipelago. Moreover, the reliance of Hawaiian coastal communities on coral reefs for sustenance and economic prosperity is evaluated to determine the importance of reef ecosystem conservation for the prosperity of Hawaii. Chapter 1 introduces the importance of coral and supplies quantitative data on declining coral populations traditional to Hawaii, as a result of ocean warming and acidification. Empirical data from prior, prominent studies, combined with my own, will be discussed. Chapter 2 outlines the ecology of Hawaiian reef ecosystems, the scientific mechanisms behind coral and its essential but fragile relationship with algae, and the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on this relationship. A conceptual understanding of benthic ecology traditional to Hawaii’s reef ecosystems is pertinent when understanding the effects of climate change and ocean acidification, and explaining the functioning of coral as the driver of reef ecosystems illustrates its importance to Hawaiian communities. Chapter 3 further lays out quantitative and qualitative data; however, regarding the relationship between Hawaiian coastal communities and reef ecosystems, to convey the importance of benthic coral health to the community. Additionally, chapter 3 observes the multifaceted anthropogenic factors directly related to the decline of coral health, highlighting the most prominent threats at both global and local levels. Chapter 4 contextualizes notable existing efforts for reef ecosystem conservation in Hawaii and assesses the current state reef conservation policies in both the state and federal government. Finally, chapter 5 presents adaptive and preservative policy recommendations, with an emphasis on adaptive strategies, to effectively identify effective reef ecosystem conservation efforts that will preserve their vitality