23 BRONX WEEKLY March 3, 2019 www.BXTimes.com
Court reporting student wins speed contest
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A Bronx court reporting
student’s path to a successful
career is at her fi ngertips.
Mount Hope resident
Maia Morgan is one of 12
winners in Plaza College’s
2019 National Court Reporting
Association Student
Speed Competition.
Over 100 students raced
against the clock and each
other to see who was the
fastest and most accurate
court reporter in honor of
National Court Reporting
and Capturing Week.
Morgan and her peers
transcribe using a stenotype,
a specialized shorthand
machine which interfaces
with a customized
laptop, and take dictation
at various speeds as they
train to become professional
court reporters.
The stenotype keyboard
has fewer keys than a conventional
alphanumeric
keyboard.
Multiple keys are
pressed simultaneously to
spell out whole syllables,
words and phrases with a
single hand motion.
Since the keyboard
does not contain all letters
of the English alphabet,
letter combinations are
substituted for the missing
characters.
“Using the stenotype
machine is almost like
learning another language,”
she expressed.
Morgan types at an
impressive 120 words per
minute with 96% accuracy.
To graduate, she will
have to increase her speed
to 225 words per minute.
Morgan aspires to one
day work as a stenographer
in either supreme or
civil court.
She fi nds being a court
reporter an exciting career
option and encourages everyone
to give it a try.
“Maintaining the required
speed and trying
not to think too hard while
typing are challenges, but
they can be overcome
through practice and patience,”
Morgan said.
She said making one’s
fi ngers nimble is key to increasing
typing speed.
Morgan suggested
learning to play an instrument
such as a piano or
guitar to establish muscle
Mount Hope resident Maia Morgan is one of 12 winners in Plaza
College’s 2019 National Court Reporting Association Student Speed
Competition. Photo by Christopher Zipf
memory.
According to Karen
Santucci, Plaza College
Court Reporting chairwoman
and NYS Court
Reporters Association
vice president, stenographers
keep vital records
for legal hearings and trials;
grand juries; despositions;
government meetings
and hearings at local,
state and federal levels;
TV closed captioning and
services for the hearing
impaired.
“Our role is crucial
because we record and
preserve the accurate accounts
of trials, despositions,
grand juries and
other crucial aspects of
the legal system which are
essential to ensuring the
fair administration of justice,”
Santucci explained.
She added that students
study legal and medical
terminology and court
procedures to prepare
them for a versatile, wellpaying
career in the legal
fi eld.
Court reporters’ records
ensure fair trials
and serve as the basis for
appeals and other cornerstones
of the entire American
legal process.
These professionals,
90% of whom are women,
are responsible for preserving
the historical record
of legal proceedings
and serve as crucial documentarians
ensuring reliability.
Court reporters’ salaries
can top $100,000 a
year.
Plaza College is NYC’s
sole court stenographer
program, with 200 students
currently enrolled.
Plaza College has a 70%
graduation rate across all
of their offered programs
and more specifi cally a
73% retention rate within
the court reporting program.
For additional information
about the program,
visit www.plazacollege.
edu/landing_court_reporting/.
Despite the loss, Councilman Rafael Salamanca, Jr. congratulates Assemblyman Michael Blake on a
well-run campaign for Public Advocate. Photo by Dennis Cohen
Williams defeats Blake, Mark-
Viverito for Public Advocate
Mark-Viverito finished
fourth in the borough
with an estimated
7,204 votes.
She came in behind
fellow upper Manhattan
councilman Ydanis Rodriguez,
whom tallied
an estimated Bronx 8,068
votes, although, she had
better numbers than both
Blake and Rodriguez citywide.
Of the 17 esteemed
candidates, Mark-Viverito
finished third overall
with an estimated 44,158
votes just behind Queens
Councilman Eric Ulrich
whom totaled 77,026 estimated
ballots cast.
Blake finished fourth
in the race with an estimated
33,198.
Given that Mark-Viverito
ran on the ‘Fix
the MTA’ party line, it’s
fairly obvious what her
priorities for the city
were.
For over a decade, she
had also advocated for
the legalization of marijuana,
using its tax revenue
for MTA repairs.
Blake on the other
hand focused more towards
housing improvements,
especially regarding
the NYC Housing
Authority and senior living.
He also supported the
Amazon deal, publicly
stating that the Long Island
City deal should
have been reshaped
rather than scrapped.
“We still had over 30
thousand New Yorkers
support us and ran an
exceptional race,” Blake
said after learning of the
disappointing news during
his watch party at
hip-hop bar and restaurant
Beatstro.
One of those supporters
was Alfredo
Angueira, Beatstro’s
owner.
He braved the brutal
winds of Election Day to
campaign at nine different,
outdoor locations for
Blake.
A large part of Blake’s
digital campaign strategy
relied on social media
promotions from
‘Bronx celebrities’ like
Angueria or Amaurys
Grullon, owner of Bronx
Native clothing.
“We learned a lot
about the city during this
campaign, but the city
also learned a lot about
the Bronx,” Blake said in
confidence. “This is just
the begining for us,” he
added, referring both to
himself and his borough.
Blake continued on
to express his hopes
that Williams will focus
and advocate for investments
in Bronx schools,
NYCHA repairs and up
keep, as well as work to
continue job creation.
As far as a political
future for the assemblyman,
it’s all up in the air
currently.
“I hope my future involves
more than three
hours of sleep a night,”
the runner up joked.
Although, the Brooklynite
victor can’t exactly
sit back and enjoy
his special election win
just yet.
Come June, Williams
may have to go through
another primary if he’s
challenged by a fellow
Democrat, and then compete
in the general election
in November.
Melissa Mark-Viverito during
her concession speech on election
night. Photo by Curtis Heath
from Page 1
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.plazacollege