pursuit magazine issue number one

P URSUITA Magazine of Life, Liberty & Happiness

Issue I

31Percent.Blogspot.comA one stop shop for news, sports, and opinions that you may agree

or disagree with, but will surely find entertaining...

You see, 69 Percent of people just don’t get it. They are thepeople that make you scratch your head, pondering what the hell they were thinking.

31 Percent has been created to ensure that you never have to rely on that awful 69 Percent to fill your day with information on meaningless topics that pique your interest.

31percent.blogspot.com

All Great Truths Begin as Blasphemies

We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident

Two-hundred and thirty-five years ago, some gentlemen got together and broke away from their ruler to be their own leaders. Anyone who has ever participated in or followed their own American dream has done so in the spirit of these men. Independence is at the foundation of Pursuit, a magazine steeped in the true freedom of the press. Any magazine writer who says they would not want to eventually start their own magazine is lying. In developing the idea for Pursuit, I decided to tell the stories of Philadelphia and to tell them from the point of view of actual Philadelphians. This means that we should hear the thoughts of writers who have something to say – by “something” I am referring to documents that cannot simply be whittled down to a “tweet.” This city was built on and still filled with, people pursuing their dreams. I chose William Penn as the symbol for Pursuit because he is so prominent in our everyday lives, watching over us. The history of this country is all around us – on our sidewalks, in our buildings, and in the case of Billy Penn, in our sky. The concept of Pursuit Magazine is simple – Freedom of the Press. We are giving a voice to those who would otherwise not have one. The content of Pursuit is like our readers – diverse. With an emphasis on diversity and individuality, Pursuit will feature a broad range of stories, essays, poetry, and tips written by and about Philadelphians. Letters to the editor and OP/ED pages in magazines and newspapers are always a popular section among readers, so, why not give Philadelphia the opportunity to voice its opinion on any topic throughout an entire magazine? Our Founding Fathers dared to be different because they had to. Since then, no one needed to stand out as much as we at Pursuit need to today. I decided to establish Pursuit because I was tired of reading the same thing over and over in every publication I opened. I have always had a fascination with history and my love for this city stems from knowing how important WE are to world. Yes, I said, WE. Philadelphians take ownership of this city for better or for worse. Lately, it has been for the better, but we never want to see it get worse. Thank you for reading Pursuit Magazine. I look forward to a long reader-editor relationship. I will save the long-windedness for the blogging world and simply welcome you to a new experience in all things Philly, an experience of life, liberty, and happiness.

Feel free to contact me at any time. [email protected]

Sincerely,

Steven M. ZieglerFounder, Editor-in-ChiefPursuit Magazine

January 2011 I Pursuit I 3

Editor’s DECLARATION

Steve Ziegler is a graduate of La Salle University’s School of Communication and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree from La Salle in Professional Communication. He is a native of South Philadelphia and has a tremendous love of film, especially anything directed by Martin Scorsese. Steve has a screenplay in pre-production and when he is not juggling the duties of Pursuit, his home, and his 9 to 5 job, he is usually writing or headed to the movies. By the way, you can call him Zig. He prefers it.


Speaking About the (often) Unspoken I 10 A Non-Profit Group Seeks to Erase a Stigma By: Steve Ziegler

STYLE: Philadelphians Seeing Red I 15 By: Kori Moore, The Houndstooth Heroine

Morning Glory I 16 Kevin Crockett of 92.5 WXTU

Unsung Heroes Week I 18 By: Gwynne Sigel

Is There a “DOC”tor in the House? I 24 Philly Funny Guy Joe Dougherty By: Jonathan Donnelly

Oscar Predictions I 26

Young Mums: The Real New Year’s Day Parade With the Boysfrom Cara Liom I 27 By: Steve Ziegler

QB Controversy Will Be Solved inOff-Season I 29 By: Dominic Perilli

Cherish Your Waffle Cone I 30 By: Akeem Dixon

In The Next Pursuit I 31

Scotch

Warm up the Winter months at home and in the city with a classic.

Neat: Johnnie Walker Green Label-Finishes with a nice, oak taste. Don’t add ice, for it becomes too watered down.-Average price $50.00

On the Rocks: Dewar’s 12 year-The essential scotch for any respectable, hospitable, host.-Average price $25.00 On the Town: Rob Roy at The Continental Martini Bar, Olde City

Spirit of ’76What We’re Drinking

Photo Courtesy of Akash Patel & Mike Alverz

CONTENTS

Winter’s a wonderment meant for enjoyment and light endued warmth. Warming hearts and producing the back-lit foreground for a city’s history.

Philadelphia City Hall, taken from 15th and Market Streets.

Photo and Caption by Kori Moore

R E V O L U T I O N A R I E S


Kori Moore is a vivacious optimist from the cusp of the Midwest known as Ohio. Now an experience-loving Philadelphia transplant, she is exploring both the joys of the city and of writing. Since arriving in Philadelphia a year ago, Kori has written and published over 100 poems to her blog, http://misswrittenkm.blogspot.com/. She has also teamed with a local music project, Clouds For Sale, as a lyricist, penning 13 songs and discovering the dream of working as a lyricist. Fashion journalism is another writing realm this lover of style and former Philadelphia Art Institute student aspires to explore. Pursuit Magazine is Kori’s first attempt at publication writing in her journey as a developing writer. Available for freelance writing, including poems, lyrics and monologues, Kori can be contacted at [email protected].

MIKE DILLONMike Dillon is a native of Northeast Philadelphia; growing up in Feltonville and currently residing in Morrell Park. He found photography in 2008 and is a student at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Mike has an immense love of the City of Philadelphia. His photographs incorporate his love of street art, movies, comics, and ladies. Mike and his girlfriend, Melissa, have been together for 12 years. They have a Pitbull/Black Lab mix, Angel, a black cat, Layla, and a Red Eared Slider Turtle, George. He is the founder and CEO of Rude Boy Photography. Currenty, he is shooting different forms of photography including 35mm film developing and printing on his own. When not taking pictures, he is usually painting, drawing, or writing.

KORI MOORE

AKEEM DIXONAkeem Dixon is founder of 31PercentLife.com. He writes with his right hand, but does most things with his left. He can swim, but can’t tread water, and loves ketchup, but despises tomatoes. Thus, The Contrarian moniker fits. His blog subscribes to the idea that 69% of our society just doesn’t get it. They are the people that make you scratch your head, pondering what the hell they were thinking. The remaining 31% are those that have chosen to represent a rational way of life, while being open to others, and respecting ALL KINDS OF COOL. 31PercentLife.com has a wide variety of content. It includes forward worthy internet videos, dating and fashion segments, its own podcast radio show, and general posts of current events pertaining to life...all of which include their witty and funny opinions and comments. It’s their point of view that makes 31PercentLife.com a blog worth checking out. 69% doesn’t get it. The remaining 31% loves it. WHAT PERCENT ARE YOU?

.

R E V O L U T I O N A R I E S

JONATHAN DONNELLY

Gwynne is a writer, and teaching and performing artist who collects, documents, and performs stories of community change and community history. Gwynne holds a bachelor’s degree in folklore and music from the University of Michigan, and a master’s degree in philosophy and social foundations of education from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently directs the Philadelphia Jewish Oral History Project, (PJOHP) a cultural history, performance, and education project which is documenting the history of the Shalom Aleichem Club, one of Philadelphia’s last surviving old Jewish left communities. Gwynne also studies Yiddish to support her research efforts for PJOHP and hopes to sing and perform Yiddish music eventually. She is available to provide freelance writing and editing services. She may be reached at [email protected].

ALEXANDRA STOKES

GWYNNE SIGEL


Jonathan Donnelly was born, raised, and still resides, in South Philadelphia where he attended St. Richard’s Grade School and Neumann-Goretti High School. Jonathan is enrolled as a junior at Temple University where he is majoring in Broadcast Journalism and is set to graduate in the Spring of 2012. Jonathan is a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan and hopes to one day be a part of the Philadelphia sports media, present for every game and march down Broad Street.

DOMINIC PERILLI

Dominic is a junior at Temple University. He is an avid sports fan. He is the editor of www.PhillyEaglesTalk.com andContributor to www.BleacherReport.com

Alex Stokes considers herself a “girly-girl” even though she hates the color pink. She is a native of South Philadelphia and currently the Marketing Assistant at Philadelphia Weekly. Her background in graphic design and degree from Neumann University have led her to the position of Layout and Design Editor of Pursuit Magazine. Alex enjoys the nightlife in Philadelphia, often planning parties and even hosting events.

.

As tall and regal, a glimpse of structure for the Brotherly Love we all crave.

Philadelphia from the steps of the Art Museum


SPEAKING ABOUT

THEOFTEN

UNSPOKEN

I’m the only person like me, so I must be unique.” The words of a young African-American girl

with a mohawk and a heart shaved into her hair seem to resonate with everyone in the room at the Drexel University School of Medicine on this blistery Saturday morning in December. Nearly twenty high school and college students are gathered today not because they are getting extra credit for a class or studying for standardized tests, rather they are here because they are trying to erase a stigma that each of them has faced at one point or another in their lives – the stigma of mental illness. These students are some of the first students on the east coast to partake in the efforts of a California-based non-profit organization called LETS (Let’s Erase the Stigma).

The organization was founded last year by an enthusiastic rock-climbing instructor with a background in risk management and investment banking, Phil Fontilea. “Everyone talks about erasing stigma but you can’t erase stigma if it’s already been created and generated. The only way to erase the stigma is to stop it before it’s created,” Fontilea says. In the early 1990s, Fontilea’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she herself did not want to tell anyone about it. Since then, Fontilea’s passion for eradicating the stigma of mental illness has evolved. Teaming up with some friends in the healthcare industry, he sat on the boards of various organizations for a decade before branching out with the idea for LETS. “What I saw was everybody congratulating

each other on what they’re doing but nothing changing. Everybody is talking about what they’re doing and it’s all crisis based,” he says. “People always talk about early intervention and prevention, but don’t really do anything.” While Fontilea’s words may seem like those of someone jaded, they are in fact the words of a man who has so much passion for his work that he wants that passion to come across in every one of his sentences. Thin with shoulder-length jet-black hair, dressed in all black, smiling from ear to ear, Phil Fontilea commands the attention of a room. “Phil is so L.A.,” jokes 28-year-old Alice O’Brien, a LETS advocate who has been instrumental in bringing LETS to the East Coast.

By: Steve ZieglerPhotos Courtesy of Let’s Erase the Stigma


“

O’Brien, of course, has her own story of why she became involved with LETS. “It was someone very close to me,” says O’Brien, identifying with the stigma that she is working with LETS to erase. “Extremely close,” she sort of trails off before her eyes begin to well up. To respect the anonymity of her family member, O’Brien gives a brief synopsis of what began to unfold in her family nearly five years ago; “I knew nothing about depression, nothing about schizophrenia, and I came from a fairly well-educated background and I thought, ‘Wow, this is bad.’” O’Brien, a Cherry Hill, NJ native, spent her undergrad years studying Communication at La Salle University and is now back pursuing a Master’s Degree in Professional Communication. When she discovered a history of mental illness in her family and saw the lack of understanding regarding the situation, O’Brien found LETS to be an organization that coincided with her belief in getting it out in the open. “The only way to end the stigma is to address it,” O’Brien says. While dealing with mental illness in her family since she was 23, O’Brien did not seek out an organization until she came face to face with depression. The stigma of mental illness that LETS is looking to erase

“Everyone talks about erasing stigma but you can’t erase stigma

if it’s already been created and generated. The only way to

erase the stigma is to stop it before it’s created.”

is one that is often so serious, that the sufferer stigmatizes the illness. In O’Brien’s case that is exactly what happened. Dealing with depression and taking medication for more than a year, O’Brien finally admitted to her now ex-boyfriend what she had been going through and when he inquired why she hadn’t told him, she responded, “Because I didn’t want you

to think there was anything wrong with me.” She knew it was time to find out why she could not talk about it. Talking seems to be a major component of Phil Fontilea’s idea for LETS. But, it is more than that. During the first annual East Coast LETS Conference at Drexel University, students were there not just looking

Above: LETS Founder Phil Fontilea (center, sunglasses) with a few supporters.


for answers, they were, like all teenagers, looking for someone with whom to identify. If you listen to the conversations, not all of them are dealing with their mental illness alone and some are there because they are the ones finding help for themselves and someone in their family. From the story of the attractive high school girl who self-mutilates and attempts suicide only to be written off by her friends as “crying for attention” to the boy who admitted his own depression and helped his mother talk about her issues as a manic depressive, to the girl whose sister attempted suicide and whose own mother said she was overreacting for trying to find help, you will hear that the youth of America’s voice is not one that exists only in text message. If you ask Phil Fontilea why now is the time to have this discussion, he will offer this response; “Now isn’t the time, the time was 20 years ago. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of the stigma that is less far-reaching, but in certain parts of the world, they don’t even have words to explain schizophrenia, because it is so stigmatized.” What Fontilea sees as a major obstacle in the way of LETS lies within the model for youth counseling across the country. His belief is echoed by those at the LETS conference. “Teachers don’t understand why I wasn’t happy and their

STATISTICS“According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), 448,000 adults in Pennsylvania suffer from mental illness. 129,000 children do as well. Across the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24 and Pennsylvania sees approximately 1,350 suicides per year.”

idea of telling me about birds and the sky and the sun and how great life is doesn’t matter…that’s not what I want to hear,” one girl says. Another says that too many people tend to “push back” and become “overly protective” when they hear about an attempted suicide or depression. “I see that kids are hurting when I walk down the hallway at school, and they need someone to reach out…usually the only thing somebody, even a teacher will say is, ‘Why do you always look depressed?’” According to the National Alliance of Mental

Illness, 448,000 adults in Pennsylvania suffer from mental illness. 129,000 children do as well. Across the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24 and Pennsylvania sees approximately 1,350 suicides per year. Fontilea attributes much of this to the stigma of mental illness and is frustrated with some of the response he receives. “I’ll have school administrators say ‘We won’t have enough counselors if kids start talking about all this,’ and


I tell them you don’t have enough counselors already. You’ve got two people to deal with 1,500 kids.” On the other hand, Fontilea remains elated with the progress LETS has made. “I’ve presented LETS to Stephen Hinshaw, the Chair of U.C. Berkeley’s Psychological Department, and he’s been working on the different ways this can work with two researchers. They’ve been amazed at what we’re doing and they know it will change things. They say it’s so big, how are they going to start it,” Fontilea says excitedly. Before revolutionizing the way of thinking about mental illness, Fontilea was gaining notoriety in the medical industry for his “meds first, get paid later” philosophy developed while working as Director of Key Drug Pharmacy for more than eight years. “If you had a broken leg, would the doctors wait until something bad happened to treat it?” Fontilea asks rhetorically. “Then why do we wait until something drastic happens to talk about mental illness?” “The problem I face in getting LETS into a school usually comes from the administration,” O’Brien says. She explains that especially in the schools where the constituency tends

to be more affluent, those in charge often turn a blind eye to the issue of mental illness. “They want to say ‘Not here,’ but when I ask the kids they’re totally in favor of it.” The people surrounding the LETS movement are indeed committed to their cause. Fontilea’s rock climbing business, On Belay, donates all of its proceeds to LETS. O’Brien is working tirelessly to spread the message to local college, holding symposia in January at LaSalle, Drexel, and Temple Universities. How about the youth who stand to benefit the most from the program? Last year, Ulysses S. Grant High School in California was the first school to implement LETS. It started with 15 members and in a year grew to 40 to become the largest club in the school. These kids are unique. Let’s get them talking.


If You Or Someone You Know Would

Benefit from LETS

Visitwww.lets.org

&Become a friend on

Facebook

Do you have a smartphone?

You should be playing Words With Friends.

This app costs $2.99 or the “lite” version can be

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capabilities, an iPad, or iPod Touch.

Get connected through

Words With Friends.

What’s H“app”ening?

To abandon is to create. Art’s a brick, laid by layer.

Showing a story and begging for incite.

Abandoned row homes. North Hollywood Street,

Philadelphia. Photo and Caption by Kori Moore

STYLEBy: Kori Moore, The Houndstooth Heroine

PhiladelPhians seeing Red Hello, Philadelphia! Happy 2011 to you all! Let me informally introduce myself. I am the Houndstooth Heroine and I am here to shed light on all that is fashion in this fine city of brotherly love. Since my middle school days, when hot fashion was being plucked from the likes of the Spice Girls and Gwen Stefani (pre-solo career), I fell in love with anything remotely linked to style. Over the years I decided to bestow it upon myself to share my gift of fashion intuition witthose around me. Thanks to Pursuit Magazine, I now have an amazing opportunity to share my vast, self-taught knowledge of fashion with the inhabitants of this great city. Since Philadelphians are most likely starting to suffer from “cabin fever,” more and more, people are braving the streets just in an attempt to be outdoors. I spotted some repeat patterns when it comes to the outerwear the citizens are trailing around in. Philadelphia is seeing red again! And it’s such a good color on us! Personally, I am color-obsessed. I view color as one of the most important aspects of great style. Currently the crimson hue is being spotted as far as the eye can see. One piece of

fashion history that is getting this cherry make-over is the ever so popular, never-go-out of style pea coat. Originally, the pea coat was worn by naval officers. The original wool coats were only issued in navy and black. In the 1960’s the trend for thick, woolen outerwear was made popular by Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Black and navy are fine for neutrals, but in this day in age, we must express ourselves as much as possible. This coat-trend that refuses to retreat is stellar in red. I have been spotting thick, double breasted red coats all over this city. This trend can be seen on women of all walks of life. Some of these “red-hot coat-ure” looks vary in color tone. This color is being worn in bright, “stop you in your tracks,” cherry red to a more subtle and demure brick red. The cuts that are popular are hip length, mid-thigh, and cropped. Another aspect of these coats that are trending is how the buttons relate to the color. The buttons

become more of a focal point and turn into a form of an accessory. Some coats are embellished with naval styled gold buttons. The heat of the gold and the red almost clash but balance each other due to the metallic in the gold. These pea coats have also been seen with rich black circular buttons and also classy red buttons. As this solstice continues on, I’ve noticed the red sea growing among the Philly fashion inhabitants. Every one wants to bundle up in style and look bright and cheery, while wading out until the city thaws out. I say this trend is spot on. We are following suit of those in London who have been sporting this looker longer than just this season. Once the chill breaks and the weather turns into a happy spring, get ready for the coat-layer shed and watch out for the up and coming spring looks. The forecast calls for less red, more pastels, and lots and lots of sequins.

Until next month Philadelphia. Peace, love. And shoes! -The Houndstooth Heroine

Check out more on http://misswritten.blogspot.com

Above: True is the blood of a silly-heart, like the crimson from my coat dye


MORNING GLORYIt’s nice to have regular-

ity,” says Kevin Crockett, 25, Producer of the Doc and Andie Morning Show on 92.5 WXTU,

Philadelphia’s Country Station. Regularity probably wouldn’t be the ideal word that comes to the mind of the average person considering Crockett is at work just around four o’clock in the morning. But, for Crockett, he couldn’t have it any other way. “Morning drive,” he says, “If you’re trying to do radio, morning drive is it, man.” Before beginning his stint as a producer for Doc and Andie, Crockett was a late-night DJ on Wired 96.5, sister station to WXTU. “Good luck talking to someone in their car at three

in the morning,” Crockett says, referring to his time at Wired. “It’s not a terrible thing, but it’s just obvious that 6 A.M. when people are getting up and going to work, they’re looking for something to listen to and to keep them entertained.” While he’s awake early in the morning to meet with the crew about the news stories, songs, interviews, and whatever else the Doc and Andie Morning Show will entail that day, Crockett knows how much his audience appreciates the work he does and how much he did to get where he is today. “I slept here four nights a week two summers ago,” Crockett says, before firing off his schedule during that summer. “…Slept here

four nights a week, was working at the YMCA in Roxborough 40 hours a week, showering there, doing an overnight shift, sleeping on this old, like, seventies style, All in the Family kind of couch…and that’s what I would do, man. I would do my overnight shift, sleep there, get up and do it all the next day.” Crockett’s dedication stands out among those his age who have come before and after him, thinking they wanted to be on the radio. “So many people have come through here in the three years that I’ve been here, be it interns or promotions and said ‘I want to do radio,’” Crockett explains, “The opportunity is there if you want it. Wired was incredible with me

Kevin Crockett, prepares for his role as producer on the Doc & Andie Morning Show on 92.5 WXTU, Philly’s Country Music Station

By: Steve Ziegler

Photos Courtesy of Kevin Crockett and Wired 96.5

“

MORNING GLORY

in the fact that they gave me an opportunity. They could have easily automated their overnight and not worried about anything else.” While he admits that upon graduation from college remained more committed to his work than anything else, including friends, but says in a way that is more reflective than regretful. Crockett knew what he needed to do to achieve his goals. “Mom being mom would ask all the time if this what I really wanted,” he says, “But you get that little taste of someone recognizing you or recognizing your voice and it keeps you going. I did my first air check at two in the morning on a Saturday. Most people would rather be doing something else at two in the morning on a Saturday, but you have to be willing to make that sacrifice to know that is what you really want.” Crockett, a 2008 graduate of La Salle University did not develop his love for radio while studying communication, rather, he is essentially self-taught, standing over the shoulders of those in the station who manned the switchboards during his time as a intern at Wired. Tall and thin, Crockett dedicated most of his college time to playing Wide Receiver for the Explorers’, but his love of making people laugh and his knowledge of sports make for an interesting conversations with a man who can hold his own against Stuart Scott while remaining infatuated with the psychological aspects of working on the radio. “Once I figured out that I can have an effect on people, I wanted to do it always,” Crock-ett says. He says that he is often

described as “the talkative one” and he does not mind that. He also has an affinity for making people laugh. Now that he has this tremendous power at his fingertips to have an effect on people throughout the Delaware Valley, what intrigues him is how. “It’s sound, that’s all it is, it’s sound an it’s your imagination, that’s radio,” Crockett says. “The reason I like being a producer is that it’s subtleties. You may not remember the whole bit, but if I put a popular Homer Simpson quote in the middle of it,you’re gonna remember it. It’s those subtleties. It’s a bell in the background that just goes ‘ding!’” Kevin Crockett is not someone who spends his mornings slumped over a switchboard, waiting to hit the button for the next commercial. Rather, before the sun is anywhere even close to up, he is milling about, wide-eyed, laughing, appreciating all the hard work it took to be a goof on the radio. “I love this because people are so laid back. They’re like play me a song, man. Make me laugh, man.” He says this with a smile, but knows the reality of the business. “A lot of this is here today gone tomorrow and I’m sure there are plenty of people across the country right that would jump at

Above: Crockett Emcees a Wired/WXTU event.

“I slept here four nights a week two

summers ago…and that’s what I would do, man. I would do my overnight shift, sleep there, get up and do it all the

next day.”

the chance to be back on the radio.” As the sun come ups over WXTU studios, Doc and Andie have been live on the air for just over an hour. Crockett has answered several phone calls and sat down for an interview with a local magazine. For them, it’s an average day in the office. For their listeners, it’s an optimistic precursor to the monotony of the day and a subtle reminder that a little laughing goes a long way.


Above: Crockett in 2008 with the World Series Trophy

Neighborhood?Manayunk.

Hobbies? Sports. Huge sports guy, always have been. I couldn’t tell you how much money I spent last year when the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup and I kind of don’t want to know.

Position on the Football Field?Wide Receiver.

In the Studio?Quarterback.

Doc and Andie?The owners. Their names are on the show. We’re all idiots and I love it.

First Time on the Air?December 2008 on Wired. I talked over John Legend’s Everybody Knows.

What was it like?Terrifying. I tell anybody now that wants to be on the radio that you have to get over the fact that you’re ab-solutely going to screw up. Once you become at peace with that, you’ll be okay. And don’t sound bored, that’s important. Funny thing is, nobody told me that you hear yourself when you go on the air and I wasn’t ready for the echo.

Musical Influences?Dad (Ed) was a big Motown guy and mom (Kathy) was more the Top 40; your Billy Joels and Michael Jacksons and whatnot, so I have a pretty diverse array of musi-cal tastes. I’ve always been into alternative rock myself, but I learned to appreciate hip hop more by working on Wired and Country more from being at WXTU. I just recently went through a big Motown phase.

Left: Crockett and “The Teflon Don,” rapper Rick Ross at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

Below: Doc, Andie, and Crockett at the WXTU “Ugly Christmas Sweater” Party.

Biggest difference between Wired 96.5 and 92.5 WXTU? I think I have the country demeanor, but the Wired personality. Country fans, though, they’re in it to win it. You haven’t seen anything until you pull up the Wells-Fargo Center during our anniversary show and there’s barbeques and swimming pools. It’s crazy. Country fans are dedicated and you know what, country stars are so down to earth too, it’s really cool.

What’s your most memorable moment on the air?The most memorable stuff is probably the stuff we can’t air. Just remember that when you call us, we’re hitting record whether we can use it or not.

Favorite Celebrity Encounter?I was at a Ludacris concert and all of sudden, Jamie Foxx is standing right behind me. Here’s this guy that has been nominated for Academy Awards, sings, acts, you name it and he’s standing like three feet away from me. When I met him though, I don’t know why, all I wanted to talk about was In Living Color and Booty Call.

Radio secret?If you’re ever trying to win something, and it doesn’t matter if they’re asking for caller 847 or caller 3, sound excited. Being people with personalities, we like hearing from people with personality.

Not to offend country fans, but, I have to ask: Beyonce or Taylor Swift?

Beyonce in a heartbeat. Taylor’s a sweet girl, but Beyonce hands down. Now, if you throw Carrie Underwood into the mix, then we have some competition. It would be Carrie Underwood, Beyonce, and Katy Perry in my top three. Then Taylor would probably write a song about why she’s not in my top three.


Q & A With Crockett

UNSUNG HEROES WEEK

By: Gwynne Sigel

Q & A With Crockett

I am declaring this week, “Unsung Heroes Week” I have been thinking that as Americans, we don’t have

enough opportunities to honor those special people we know. And we all know some. Those people in our neighborhoods, places of worship, workplaces, community organizations, and our kids’ schools who have the ability to touch people’s lives in important ways through their small and large acts of courage, commitment to serving their communities, and their ability to make a difference in their world. I direct an oral history-based theater project and spend a lot of time listening to and documenting stories about the remarkable lives of some of these otherwise ordinary people. So I have had a little time to think about this. Initiating an Unsung Heroes Week helps us begin that process of honoring by recognizing the contributions of these special people. I told my friend Suzanne, a high school history teacher about my idea and asked her for some names. The first name she proposed was Sherman Labovitz. Sherman was a former member of the American Communist Party, (CP) and community organizer-turned college social work professor. He is also the sole surviving defendant in the Philadelphia Smith Act trial. She met Labovitz while she was teaching a class on twentieth-century socialmovements and organized a panel of activists to talk about their political experiences.

I asked her why she proposed Sherman in particular. She said: (right Bue Box) For those of you who weren’t around in 1940, the year the Smith Act was passed, the law still on the books

I guess for starters,

he’s a really courageous human being. At a time

when many activists were driven underground,

politically isolated, cut off from their families, friends, and communities, he and

his co-defendants managed to overcome this isolation, in their successful struggle

against McCarthyism. Besides, she continued, the trial was really dramatic and exonerated Labovitz and his co-defendants. They, their wives and their extended

political community diligently worked to secure legal counsel and then assemble a defense team. This was not easy since many attorneys had refused to have anything to do with the case. But Labovitz and his co-defendants used their

indictment—ultimately--as a means of reaching out to the broader liberal and progressive communities

locally to build support for the case. Ultimately, they prevailed

because the defense team carefully built a case against the government by exposing its ten informer-witnesses as liars and crafting a defense strategy which affirmed the

defendants’ rights to organize for democratic change. The

case really demonstrated just how fragile a democracy the U.S. was in the 50’s, given

how far it was willing to go to stifle dissent and undermine citizens’ democratic rights.

today, makes it illegal for citizens to work peacefully within our democracy to challenge policies and actions that they deem to undermine democracy or violate their constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms. Despite the law’s concern with people and organizations that seek to “overthrow or destroy the government”, the Act is best known for its use against political activists and organizations. Particularly significant for Labovitz is that the law made membership in the CP illegal. Its most vicious intent was to create an environment based on fear and intimidation that would actively discourage citizens from challenging laws that they believed threatened their rights and freedoms. So virtually any project –large or small—that sought to improve the quality of life for its citizens was fair game—from petitioning for passage of a peace treaty, to organizing bake sales to raising money for school projects. It was truly a nefarious piece of legislation and its passage set into motion the political machinery that made McCarthyism so harmful. In 1997, Labovitz wrote a memoir about his experiences, Being Red In Philadelphia: A Memoir of the McCarthy Era. Part social history, part political thriller, the book weaves together the voices of Labovitz, his co-defendants, and attorneys to recount the details of the case and the developments that shaped it. Labovitz’s story recounts how he and his eight co-defendants, all local leaders of the Philadelphia branch of the CP in the early 1950’s, successfully overturned their convictions of conspiring to teach to advocate an overthrow of the US government through their political organizing efforts. In reality, they had been convicted because of their involvement in the CP. Labovitz’s story is quite a compelling one; both because of its power and


drama and because of all that it teaches us. Labovitz is especially interested in documenting his and his contemporaries’ struggle against the perniciousness of McCarthyism, and the significance of the defense of free speech and assembly. According to Labovitz’s account, for several years prior to Philadelphia’s Smith Act trial, the Act had been successfully used to indict, try, and convict almost 80 men and women in other cities throughout the country. Their crime? Political organizing. By 1953, the year of the trial, it had become virtually impossible for individuals who had been arrested for “political crimes” such as Labovitz and his co-defendants, to secure legal counsel. Hence, the law’s impact was felt broadly in many areas of society. Labovitz writes: “Under the pretext of protecting families, communities, and the nation’s security, teachers were dismissed, lawyers were disbarred, clergymen were removed from pulpits, actors were blacklisted and denied employment, scientists were refused clearance to enter their laboratories, union officers were forced to resign, workers were fired form their jobs and ordinary people were refused their

“Despite the law’s concern with people and organizations that seek to “overthrow or destroy the government”, the Act is best known for its use against political activists and organizations.”

right to travel abroad.” Many foreigners during this time were denied access to periodicals and libraries. They faced revocation of citizenship and deportation also. Labovitz reminds us that the passage of the Smith Act triggered other developments: “Loyalty oaths, deportation of the foreign-born, imprisonment for those suspected violating the Smith Act, and deeply repressive laws such as the McCarran Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950, which authorized the construction of internment camps and the McCarran-Walters Immigration Act which facilitated deportation procedures.”For Labovitz it was indeed the worst of times! His story teaches us about the power of communities to fight and win against injustice. It also teaches us about how Philadelphia’s rich history of independent political reform and spirit of dissent helped to shape the local political developments during the 1950’s that ultimately enabled the defendants to build support for their case among liberal- thinking people. One of Labovitz’s most important claims is that Philly’s particular experience weathering McCarthyism, and ultimately, in resisting the hysteria that had

seized many communities throughout the country, successfully distinguished Philadelphia’s experiences of other big cities in challenging McCarthyism. In particular, he argues that the historical influence and impact of the local Quaker community, with its deep tolerance and support for dissent, helped to create an atmosphere of political calm within the city. It was this environment, Labovitz argues, that enabled various local communities, including the legal and liberal-left communities to resist the hysteria of the period more effectively than many other communities had across the country. Being Red in Philadelphia is a great read--if you want to learn more about that political and historical moment. Suzanne sent me an email after I sent her the draft for this article. She wrote:“As a high school history teacher, I appreciate the important lessons that we can learn from historical events. There’s just a whole lot of information that young people need to appreciate their roles as historical actors and citizens living in a democracy.” Sounds like a most worthy candidate for unsung hero. Don’t you think?

Editor’s Note: Sherman Labovitz clarifies in his book that he was in no way afilliated with Communist Russia and his beliefs were economical.


“Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government...”

- The Smith Act

Market Street Bridge, 30th Street Station, Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, PA


To fall upon a city, is as if the wind

fell in love with the night’s sense of

river reflections.

Is There a “DOC”tor in the House?Philly Funny Guy Joe Dougherty

Pursues His Comedic Dream

By: Jonathan Donnelly

From the time Joe Dougherty, 24, a Mayfair native and East Falls resident, was a

kid, he has always been trying to entertain people. Being one of the youngest in his family, it was somewhat hard for Dougherty to get the attention of the rest of his family. “When I was younger I used to stay with my grandparents in the summer. They lived down the shore and my older cousins would be down there too,” Dougherty says. “So I would just try to get their attention and I made them laugh. I really liked that.” When “Joe Doc,” as he known around town, began going to school, the joking attitude continued until his father found out. “When I got to grade school I was the class clown,” he says, “then one day my father and I were out and someone said ‘Hey, there’s Joe Dougherty, the class clown’. My dad told me, there’s

“And all I kept thinking was ‘I really shoulda took a piss

before I got up here.’ So it was the first thing I said,

and it got a laugh.”-Joe Dougherty

Left: Dougherty, talks to Pursuit about his future plans. Photo Courtesy of Mike Dillon

a time to be funny and a time not to be, as long as you know that, then go for what you want.” But Dougherty’s first real test in front of an audience didn’t come until he was in high school. He was on the football team at Roman Catholic High School for Boys when his head coach found out that he could impersonate Chris Farley’s famous “Living in a Van” skit from Saturday Night Live. Dougherty made a deal with his coaches that after the team’s first reg-ular season win, he would perform for the them and their families. Right before the season, Dougherty broke his foot so he thought he would be off the hook for awhile. That would not be the case. “I figured ‘Oh it’s not going to happen. We end up winning the game and we’re all in the huddle when my coach says ‘When we get back to the field house, Joe Doc has a little something special for

us,’” Dougherty says. “I’m sit-ting on the bus thinking to myself ‘Oh shit!’ I’m going through the skit in my head, then we got to the field house and I performed for the whole team and the families and they loved it. That’s when I first knew, ‘Alright this could work.’” Dougherty then went on to take theater at Roman during his senior year before going on to take more advanced theater classes at Temple University. It was at Temple where Dougherty became very serious about performing. “I was a sophomore and I had a theater class. It was a small class, only 15 kids. You had to do something for five minutes just in front of the other people,” Dougherty says. “I just acted like I was late for work. It really worked and my teacher asked if I would do it in front of all the theater classes on stage. I got up


on stage, did it and got a standing ovation.” After realizing that he really entertains people, Joe Doc decided that it was time to go public with his skills. Dougherty began performing at Helium Comedy Club on 20th and Sansom Streets in Center City. “When I first did it at Helium, it didn’t really feel like my first time, although it was the first time I was doing stand-up. I was nervous but I had everything memorized,” he says. “Right before I got on stage was probably the most humbling moment in my life. And all I kept thinking was ‘I really shoulda took a piss before I got up here. So it was the first thing I said, and it got a laugh. ” After Dougherty’s first performance was a success, he was walking on air. So much so that he forgot to stay focused. “The first time I did bad on stage, I thought that was it. I didn’t even think about stand-up for three months [after a bad performance in June]. I wasn’t thinking about doing stand-up ever again.” As it would turn out, the bad performance would be exactly what Dougherty needed to motivate him. “I was bitter, but then I realized I didn’t work hard enough to do this,” he says. “From then on, I knew if I didn’t prepare I wasn’t going to do well.” While Dougherty tries his hardest to make his jokes as believable as possible, he also believes that as a comedian, it is necessary to poke fun at yourself first. “I feel like if you can make fun of yourself and people start laughing, I can go with that,” he explains. “I try to make everything as real as possible. The majority of my material comes from everyday life.”

Dougherty knows the odds are

still stacked against him. “To be honest with you, I’m going to be 25. If I were any good don’t you think I would be doing this at 18?” he jokes. “Sometimes I think ‘Am I al-ready too old?’ But in the back of my mind, I keep saying, ‘keep going’, not everybody started at 18 or 19.” Although some thoughts of failure have entered Dougherty’s mind, he also has planned out what it could be like if his career turns out to be a success. Dougherty says that he is planning on getting his SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) card, getting some professional head shots and hopes to hire an agent in the near future. Dougherty believes that if all this falls into place that he can then move to Los Ange-les or New York to perform full time. However he knows he can’t make any rash decisions. “I’m not the kind of person that would just pick up and leave without having some type of plan. I want to kind of take the safe route but take my shot.” When asked what keeps him so driven and focused, Dougherty’s answer is quick and simple. “I don’t want to waste any talent that God has given me. I feel like I have something I can do and live my dream; that drives me.” Dougherty quickly smirks and says, “My car drives me also.” At the end of the day, Dougherty believes that it is in fact the thought of failing that keeps him going. “It motivates me to buckle down. There’s a time when you have to start doing what your supposed to be doing,” he says. “I don’t want to make this a pipe dream…I want to make this a reality.”


For more information on Joe Dougherty, you can visit www.YouTube.com and look for Docman131.


And The Oscar Goes To...

It is referred to as the “Big Five.” Below is the list of the top six categories (Screenplay is broken into two categories, but counts as one considering a movie can only be nominated for one.) of this year’s Academy Awards usually debated by filmgoers. The “Big Five” have been swept by only three movies in history: It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and Silence of the Lambs (1991).

We at Pursuit are not predicting a sweep this year. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Here are the nominees and our picks*. Send yours to [email protected] We will tell everyone how you compared to us on our Facebook page!

Best Motion Picture of the YearBlack SwanThe FighterInception

The Kids are All RightThe King’s Speech

127 HoursThe Social Network*

Toy Story 3True Grit

Winter’s Bone

Achievement in DirectingDarren Aronofsky*

Black SwanDavid O. Russell

The FighterTom Hooper

The King’s SpeechDavid Fincher

The Social NetworkJoel and Ethan Coen

True Grit

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem Biutiful

Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network

Colin Firth* The King’s Speech

James Franco 127 Hours

Jeff Bridges True Grit

Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleAnnette Bening

The Kids are All RightNicole Kidman

Rabbit HoleJennifer Lawrence

Winter’s BoneNatalie Portman*

Black SwanMichelle Williams

Blue Valentine

Adapted ScreenplaySimon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle

127 HoursAaron Sorkin*

The Social Network Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter,

Andrew Stanton and Lee UnkrichToy Story 3

Joel Coen and Ethan CoenTrue Grit

Debra Granik and Anne RosselliniWinter’s Bone

Original ScreenplayMike Leigh

Another YearPaul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson,

Scott Silverand Paul TamasyThe Fighter

Christopher Nolan*Inception

Stuart Blumberg and Lisa CholodenkoThe Kids are All Right

David SeidlerThe King’s Speech

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Young MumsThe Real New Year’s Day Parade With the Boys from Cara Liom

By: Steve Ziegler

M any a Mummer and a “Two-Streeter*” will tell you that the real Mummer’s Day Parade occurs after 6 P.M. on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia and lasts until the street sweepers remove the

last can of Miller-Lite from the gutter. Of course this doesn’t sound too glamorous, but venture to Second Street in South Philadelphia on New Year’s Day and you’ll experience New Year’s like you never have before. Be warned, this may not be as family-friendly as the Broad Street parade, but it’s not just a bunch of frat-guys being wild either – it’s the little taste of South Philly that is oft-forgotten by outsiders, the taste that’s not housed in an Italian restaurant. For the lifers and many 2nd Street residents, it is a time when the tiny row homes open their doors for big celebrations filled with food and drinks. The criticism that this tradition receives is understandable, considering the amount of well hydrated individuals in the street who have just been competing against each other for more than 10 hours. It seems like a recipe for trouble. Hell, I’ve even criticized it. But not this year. This year, I strapped on my brother’s drawstring schoolbag filled with ahem, beverages, and headed to 2nd and Mifflin to meet up with the youngest of the Wench brigades, Cara Liom. What I saw was shocking, in a surprisingly good way. Cara Liom N.Y.B., Gallic for “Friends of Mine” has been in existence since 2005. Their themes have included “Babies on Broad Street,” “Runnin’ Wild on Broad Street,” “Mummer Me This, Mummer Me That,” “Broad Street Bullies,” and this year’s “Curse of the Wench Doctors.” The themes reflect not only the originality of the brigade, but also the pop culture that surrounded them during their upbringing in the decades of 80s and 90s. They’ve marched down highway 611 dressed as Hulk Hogan, The Riddler, and the Philadelphia Flyers. This year, however, Cara Liom’s brass band played the music of Ross Bagdasarian’s 1958 classic “Witch Doctor,” a song known widely for its use in Alvin and the Chipmunks during the 1960s, a show was in reruns when Cara Liom members were in bonnets (much like they were in 2005).


Marching down Second Street that night was the first time I’ve ever remotely marched with a group. I must say, it’s much easier to walk down a very crowded Second Street when in the middle rather than the sidewalk. Most of the time, we neglect to realize the “homey” feeling that Philadelphia has until a day like New Years Day when we bump into many of our “homies” from years past. As I made my way to the Cara Liom trucks, the first person I bumped into was a high school friend, now a member of the Philadelphia Police Force. We hugged and I asked how it was dealing with this chaos. He responded, “Better than being in [a rather unsavory neighborhood]” where he is normally stationed. Why would he make such a claim? Because it is true. While ensuring that a crowd of thousands is under control is no easy task, it pales in comparison to fearing for one’s life while at work. The crowd this year, as I have said, seemed different. It represented what we often believe is just an ideal. With nothing but love to go around, crowds of Irish, Italian, Black, White, whoever, shared exchanges of “Happy New Year,” handshakes, and high-fives. Cara Liom placed 3rd among the Wench Brigades and strutted into the night all the way to 2nd and Porter Streets. Even though my girlfriend’s zebra-striped balloon was popped by a passerby’s cigarette, I intend to be in the same place next year on New Year’s Day with a few “Friends of Mine.”


* Two- Streeter- (/tu/ -/strit/er/) A Philadelphian who lives between the

boundaries of Oregon and Washington Avenues,

2nd and 4th Streets.


The 2010 NFL season was quite a roller coaster for Eagles fans. Chalked up as a pre-season playoff snub, the team found a way to not only make the

playoffs but they actually won the NFC East and swept the season series with the New York Giants. The biggest story this season was undoubtedly the Kevin Kolb/Michael Vick carousel. I was convinced that Kolb was ready to take over the reigns after Donovan McNabb’s departure but he didn’t look great against a solid Green Bay Packers team in week one and struggled behind an often porous and unpredictable offensive line. After Michael Vick went down with a rib injury, Kevin Kolb got the team back for a short while and flashed signs of greatness. Kolb is a timing-style quarterback much like Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, and Drew Brees. He is a natural competitor and will do any-thing possible to win. I’m interested to see what he could do behind a solid offensive line. However, with the presence of Michael Vick, I don’t think he’ll get his chance and he may very well be on his way out of Philadelphia. The Eagles need to re-sign Michael Vick. There is no question about it. They can’t afford to let him go with the chance to hurt them later on. What they should do with Kevin Kolb is the more interesting issue. Kevin has made it clear that he wants to start somewhere, whether it be Philly or not. I do believe that he has earned his right to say that. He’s been a back-up for four years and soon a fifth. If I were the Eagles, I’d ask Kolb if he could last another year as a starter without any drama issuses. If not, I’d hear offers from interested teams to try and get the most value. Kolb is worth a first-round draft pick He is a ready-to-go west-coast style NFL quarterback.

Attention, Jim Harbaugh! I was a big fan of Mike Kafka in his Northwestern days. He is a small-school player with brains and a strong arm. I’d try to develop him a bit more and maybe sign a veteran QB for added guidance. Of course, that’s if Kolb leaves. As of right now, everything on the quarterback front looks gravy, but many things will be decided when Kolb does or doesn’t remain in Philadelphia.

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QB Controversy Will Be Solved in Off-Season

By. Dominic Perilli

www.PhillyEaglesTalk.com

Cherish Your WaffleCones

By: Akeem J. Dixon

I love ice cream. I think it should be its own food group. I’ve never seen a person run after milk, meat,

or fish truck, but I have seen people from all backgrounds run after the Mr. Softee truck with little concern for oncoming traffic. It takes a special food item to have its own jingle. The “I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream” has been a classic for generations. The one item that can consistently take your ice cream experience into a completely different stratosphere is a waffle cone. The traditional cone

“These folks are the waffle cones in our lives, filled with your favorite ice cream, and topped with your favorite toppings.”

works just fine. However, the waffle cone is a treat within itself.People come in different flavors just like ice cream. Some people simply suck, some are good folks that you appreciate from a far, and others have a magical connection with you that allows them to get to know your deepest thoughts, fears, emotions, dreams, and ambitions. These folks are the waffle cones in our lives, filled with your favorite ice cream, and topped with your favorite toppings. I always had a clear under-standing of who my friends

were as opposed to who were my associates. I’ve always felt that friendship is a two way street. You can’t expect a friend to do something that you yourself wouldn’t do. Some people say that I expect too much from my friends. I counter by asking:Shouldn’t I? If you are opening yourself up to someone and exposing your raw emotions, shouldn’t he or she be held to a higher standard than the security guard that you share a pleasant “How was your weekend?” with each Monday as you enter your office building? Shouldn’t you expect your friend to support you

during your new endeavor? I’d like to think that you’d want your friend to be brutally honest with you. If not your friend, than who? How would you otherwise grow as a human being and correct your character flaws. By expecting a lot, I’d like to think you will in turn give a lot. If your friend doesn’t meet your friend standard, maybe he or she isn’t actually your friend at all. At times, we all make the mistake of making people into what we want them to be instead of accepting them for who they are. In this case, a

traditional cone. Your friends aren’t merely your twitter followers, Skype partners, or people that like or comment on your Facebook status. Instead, friends are the people that you would call if you had a flat in the wee hours of the morning, on the highway, in the rain, with no spare in the trunk. Real friends meet or exceed your expectations. Real friends are WAFFLE CONES!!


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IN THE NEXT

The Sounds of PhiladelphiaLocal Artists and the (New) Music We All Love

Real Art History Frankford Natives On The Philly Fashion Scene

A South Philly WeddingIs There Anything Quite Like It?

Meet Donald StudfordA Philly Guy’s “Guy”

Pursuit’s Food FavoritesStay at Home with Our Writers’ Favorite Recipes

And Much, Much, More...

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