workshops    midwood workshop

Rizwan Aslam

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I am 16. I love to play sports (not watch them). I am funny, cute and nice. I listen to hip hop and R&B. I like to watch movies. I love messing with people's heads. I like people who joke and mess around. I'm very shy and very lazy. (Spring 2003)

Interesting Fact: I have aliens living in my basement. (One of their names is Bob.)

Story Description: Bashir
Rizwan is seventeen years old and lives with his family in Midwood, Brooklyn. When Rizwan hangs out around Coney Island Avenue, he always sees Bashir -- a homeless man who walks with a cane and moves between nearby restaurants and shops, in which he is allowed to sleep in his wheelchair. Rizwan's interest in Bashir set him on a mission to learn more about him, even though Bashir's slurred speech, which came about following numerous strokes, make conversations a little difficult for both of them. Rizwan recently learned that Bashir took Rizwan's family into his home when they first arrived from Pakistan, and even though Bashir is shown significant kindness by the Pakistani community in the neighborhood, Rizwan questions if they and his own family are doing enough to help.

Mentor: Michael Kavanagh has been working in public radio since graduating from college - He's done production work for NPR's Talk of the Nation, The Connection, and On The Media. Currently he's an assistant producer of WNYC's The Next Big Thing. And, most importantly, he helped teach the Radio Rookies workshop on the Lower East Side. (Spring 2003)