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In recognizing that in one moment Manhattan can be devastated, New Yorkers understand that every moment holds infinitely positive potential as well.  The best way to pay to tribute to the tragedy and the city is to recognize the dynamics of a New York minute and allow the change to carry them through their lives.  Formerly a wasteland of ruins, the area surrounding Ground Zero now houses people, businesses, and culture. 

Before I began working in the business district of lower Manhattan, I imagined that the pace would be frantic. I have been surprised to learn that this was not actually the case. 

I am slowly starting to appreciate the little nuances that make up New York City, particularly with regard to the subway system that I earlier criticized so harshly. Technicalities aside, I am starting to understand its personality.

Boston’s subway lines are color coded, New York’s relies on both letters and numbers. The “T” doesn’t have express and local trains. Can I love Boston but prefer New York City’s subway system? It weighs on my mind, ever so slightly.

Particularly when you are producing a live show on a daily basis, this line of work can be a real pressure cooker. “I can’t do it” usually doesn’t cut it as an answer. There may appear to be a lighthearted atmosphere, but everyone here knows that he or she is always under the gun. Nobody bats an eyelash when things go right on the show, but every mistake gets blown up a thousand-fold on live television.

The Performing Arts at Hamilton closes the Contemporary Voices and Visions series on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a performance of Cultural Odyssey’s “Big Butt Girls, Hard-Headed Women” at 8 p.m. at Wellin Hall in the Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts. Written and performed by Rhodessa Jones with musical accompaniment and stage direction by Idris Ackamoor, the Bessie Award-winning  “Big Butt Girls, Hard-Headed Women” is a series of monologues based on the lives and times of women Jones encountered when she worked at the San Francisco City Jail. Using theatre, movement and song, Jones tells a powerful story that is both true and larger than life.

Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Mark Cryer's play, 99 Questions You Always Wanted to Ask a Black Person, was performed at Colgate University's Brehmer Theater in the Dana Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 21. Cryer worked on the play with a student, Jared Johnson, who conducted interviews of people in New York City to arrive at the questions. Cryer calls the play "timely, interesting and entertaining, and an educational tool that is a positive answer to a problem that plagues our community and society as a whole."

The cab driver pulled up to our building, but he was still a little out in the road, which caused a small backup of cars behind us. With horns blaring and people yelling, I tried to pay my fare and gather my belongings as fast as possible. In the chaos, I forgot one important thing: Always check the cab before you get out.

Leaving the subway station, my eyes adjusted to the daylight and took in the 360-degree view of Astor Place.  Starbucks are everywhere.  What existed before the stores I may never know.  The logical reason for having four of the same stores within a square block I may never understand.  What I did comprehend was the importance of Peter’s words, the message of the film, and the startling realization that if I didn’t have a venti cafe latte with skim milk, I might not be able to stay awake in class. 

Ironically, as I walked with my headphones on, I began to notice more.  With all the noise blocked out except for the music, I could concentrate better on other sights and focus on an object or person without being distracted by a squeaky subway track, a baby crying or a barking dog.