Mónica Marie Zorrilla

"This is not going to go the way you think." 

Dr. Daniel V. Schidlow, Dean of Drexel’s College of Medicine, Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Drexel University, and professor specialized in pediatric pulmonary disease, has had a rapidly evolving and ever-shifting career from its origin in Santiago de Chile to its tenures in the Bronx and in North Philadelphia. Between tending to young patients and their families, translating signs, or practicing for a recital, Daniel has barely been able to catch his breath the past five decades. Now, he takes a moment to sit down for AL DĺA to discuss his contributions as a leading Latino in the City.

"Due to high viewer demand, this was the fourth community phone bank that Telemundo62 hosted this year related to immigration issues. The previous phone bank in July 2017, which aired on Telemundo62 and focused on immigration, garnered more than 200 calls in only 90 minutes. The focus of the fourth was on 'DACA', wherein we partnered with local Latino organizations to answer viewer's questions and concerns about immigration issues." - Diana Torralvo, NBC10 and Telemundo62

"When I reflect on the terms 'liberty' and 'freedom', I think of how I've learned so much from social media, which I have unlimited access to, and how I became vocal through it. In this country, we have the ability to be vocal. I had the ability to educate people with my voice. And the fact that it was so easy to organize in my school, and that the City government let me rally in front of their buildings... I can do all of those things because of liberty and freedom, but it's also about having the right to fighting for rights being taken away. It's ironic like that." - Olivia Sandom 

Do you jaja or do you haha?

The last week of September brought with it crisp temperatures and Black and Hispanic business hopefuls in freshly-pressed suits, eager to network, become inspired, or re-connect at “Power of Performance: Leadership at The Next Level”. Other than the accomplished professionals who were honored at Prospanica’s Brillante Awards Gala, Galiana was one of the key figures being recognized at the conference as a whole.

On the evening of September 26th, hundreds of students, faculty members, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners gathered at the breathtaking Irvine Auditorium to hear from the 47th Vice President of the United States and the former Mexican President. The topic of the Perry World House dialogue? “The Future of the Global Order in an Era of Nationalism, Populism, and Retrenchment.”

If cities are in need of superheroes, then Philadelphia may have discovered one. Neither sporting cape nor spandex, The Mentor prefers a suit when serving Philadelphians, offering parables from his life and career in a Southwestern twang to Latino and LGBT youth, or providing counsel to PECO for ecological and efficient energy production. A well-versed and seasoned attorney and politician, The Mentor (who goes by alias “Romy”), has been serving us since 2002 with modesty and empathy. To show our appreciation, AL DĺA News honors Romy this year with a Hispanic Heritage Award.

El Pibe came to Philadelphia and tested his fortune-telling skills. See if his clairvoyance matches-up with the adeptness he is famous for in the stadium. 

This weekend, find out why Philadelphia isn't a cultural wasteland. 

Philadelphia is not only the City of Brotherly Love, it is also the City of Sisterly Effectiveness. The City now joins thirty-one other major American cities with women’s commissions, dedicated to shining a light on issues that women experience through intersectional data-collection and discourse, and tearing down the barriers of male dominance in a variety of fields, sectors, and categories.

What do a heavily-tattooed Lady Liberty, a snarling black panther, and a onesie that says The Revolution Will Not Be Pacified all have in common? A warehouse in West Philadelphia, and a Black woman with a vision that transcends beyond trendiness. 

Sixteen attorney generals reviewed the facts, and determined that Trump’s DACA directive violates the rule of law. Of the sixteen, the attorney general for The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, is standing up for the 5,889 DREAMers in his state.

Sandy Stolzman redefines contemporary third-world travel photography by purposefully transcending above the stereotyped role of Bacardí rum-drinking and sandy toed White tourist with a camera slung across her neck, and the results are obvious. With a wily media and with curated social accounts that love to romanticize Cuba, Stolzman is able to keenly perceive through her lens what is objectively beautiful- and what is objectively sad -about the island.

After scurrying around City Hall and Dilworth Park to ask civilians simple questions about Hispanic Heritage Month for a short video, my colleague and I soon realized that the majority of Philadelphia is ill-prepared and misinformed about this nationally recognized celebratory period. Nevertheless, between every “um”, “uh”, or absolute radio silence, there came a widespread longing to understand and know more about this time of year. The interest is there, so why hasn’t the City taken advantage of it?