Monthly Archives: September 2010

Basically meet me! I have really enjoyed the past few weeks although before coming to NY I was a little unsure as to how the people would be and whether I would be able to adjust to a drastically different culture but my worries were in vain. The people here are really nice; they are actually normal people with lots of similarities to me. I am happy in the place that i am sure will be my home for many years to come.

I am really lucky because I got such a great LC with such excellent people and good professors; my classmates are really the right sort of people and judge me for who I am, not by the color of my skin or where I come from. I keep harping on the fact that I have really nice classmates but its true!

I am a little concerned about the upcoming semester in terms of finals, exams e.t.c because this is still a new system for me but I am sure that these worries will vanish, time will fly and soon I will be looking upon my freshman semester with a great deal of nostalgia.

In the end, I hope that the friends that all of us are going to make in these first few months stick with us and that these initial acquaintances blossom into beautiful friendships that last a lifetime.

Where am I going right now? I’m on my way back home for a couple of days. My brothers and I have some music to work on for YouTube, and are hosting a live chat at 4pm tomorrow. If you are reading this before then, you should watch it. Where have I been? Well I was just in the city in the dorms at Ludlow. It’s very nice there.

Now it’s time to get to know me. My name is Travis. I’m a tall kid from a small town called Croton-on-Hudson. We are mostly famous for our train station, and our large dam. Yes, it’s about as exciting as it sounds. Sometimes our high school wins sports games. I wear a hat almost every day because I like hats. Dinosaurs are my favorite animals, and I’m sad that they are all dead. I am in love with Selena Gomez because she is beautiful and perfect and wonderful. I have split my head open twice, neither times were very fun. The first time that happened was in the 4th grade. It shaped my beliefs in the sense that I now believe that gymnastics is a very dangerous sport.

As a college student, I expect to never go to high school again. I don’t think that will be a problem. I mean, I’ll have to go back there for different events and whatnot, but that’s ok. Actually, my younger brother is going to be in the school’s production of The Crucible next month. He is a good actor. He also likes macaroni and cheese. I hope that my first semester doesn’t leave me with any more head injuries. Save for Prof. O’Malley, I think that should be fine. I feel like if I show up really late, he might throw a book at my head or something.

When asked, “who are you,” I always have to think before I respond. The answer I come up with is usually this: I’m a bookworm, ballerina, history nerd, and math geek. That is a very unusual combination, but then again, I’m a very unusual person. My definition of fun is very different from that of most of the teenage populace, something many of my friends like to remind me of. I don’t really dress the same way that many of my peers do. If I were asked to describe myself in a single word, I would probably pick different. But then again, there are millions of people in the world that would pick that very same word to describe them. So what makes me so special? I don’t really know, but if pushed I’d fall back on the same thing I mentioned before. I’m a bookworm, ballerina, history nerd, and math geek.

I love to read. I have a pull out couch in my room that’s right next to little lamp. Whenever I get a good book, I tend to sit on the corner of the couch that is closest to the lamp and just read for hours and hours. I tend to favor mysteries and historical fiction. It was my love of reading that lead into my love of history. When you really think about it, the things that people did 100’s of years ago are pretty amazing and I find it fascinating to learn about what life was like for them. So that explains two of the four types of people that I used to describe myself. The other two are very different.

When my parents first brought up the topic of ballet, I said no right away. I didn’t want anything to do with it. But then I went to my first lesson. There was something different about it. It wasn’t what I thought it was and it gave me an opportunity to express myself without really talking. I was always extremely shy in school and I didn’t like public speaking at all. But that first year of ballet showed me that public speaking really couldn’t be that bad and pretty soon, I fell in love with it. Now, nine, almost ten, years later, I quit and I realized that I really do miss it. But ballet is a hobby that really shaped who I am. It gave me confidence and a sense of self that I would have never gotten without it. And I’m very grateful to my parents that made me go to that first lesson.

The reason I love math, I haven’t even figured out myself yet. All I know is that math is at times complicated and simple, and is pretty much the same. I know that if I were to pick a career, it would have something to do with math. That is why I want to do actuarial science. That gives me  a new label: I’m a bookworm, ballerina, history nerd, math geek, and aspiring actuary. Somehow, that doesn’t sound any better. But it doesn’t sound that bad either. I guess that doesn’t really matter, since it is what I am.

Baruch is an incredible school and for the future, I just want to do my best to get my degree and go on to do what I want to do. I expect it to be hard but I’m not afraid of a challenge. My friend told me that I don’t fill any stereotype and in the future I want to continue doing that.

Welcome to Blogs@Baruch!

There really haven’t been any particular experiences in my life that have shaped me, but i could say people and religion have.  I was not born and raised in the USA, but actually in Saudi Arabia.  Who ever is reading this blog must be thinking, “OMG THAT’S CRAZY, PEOPLE GET THERE HEADS CHOPPED OF THERE.” Its not that crazy actually.  I lived a regular life of a kid, who had no concerns about the outside world, but just cared about having fun.  You can say that living in Saudi Arabia influenced me heavily to rely on religion.  I went to Sunday school, I learned how to behave in front of other people, how to dress appropriately, how to talk, how to eat and basically everything about my life through religion.  I also learned from different cultures and religions, other than Islam’s.  My neighborhood was very diverse. A Hindu family from India, Ghana and Chicago lived in my neighborhood.  They not only came from different religious backgrounds but from different cultures also.  I have forgotten their names because it has been a long time, but i still remember how loving and affectionate all of these families were toward me.  I learned about different parts of the world from each of the family.  NYC, the current city I am living in, is even more diverse.  Its the melting pot of cultures and religions from all around the world.  Living in NYC makes me feel like I don’t belong to a certain race or country, but i belong to the human race.  This city and the neighborhood i was raised in, has certainly taught to me respect and love people from all religions and cultures.

College has begun and i feel like it is a gateway, to new opportunities, such as choosing a career path and making friends.   I want to be an accountant because my dad is one.  My father is a great role model and that’s why i have chosen my decision to become an accountant, but so far every teacher who I have told about my career path said that I will eventually come to the terms of suicide because of boredom.  I wonder how my father survives.  If he hasn’t committed suicide then i believe that i can manage the workload as well if i work hard.

I think the experiences that have shaped my life the most were the ones I had working at Camp Combe, a YMCA summer camp. I was a camper there for about six years and then was finally able to become a part of their staff. The atmosphere at this camp is always warm and friendly; I truly feel like I am part of a giant family. My first year as a counselor was definitely a scary experience. I had never had complete control over an entire group before, and I wasn’t sure if I could handle it. However, immediately upon meeting my campers, I felt at ease. I was able to be open with them, which enabled them to be more open with me. I am often shy around new people, but with my campers I needed to come out of my shell so that we could have a good time together. It was my duty as their counselor to make their summer amazing. My responsibilities as a counselor were great, but never overwhelming. As I handled the group, I matured into a young adult, but was still able to embrace my inner child. Now as I transition into college, I expect to have a large workload; I will not be able to pass by without doing all of my assignments. While this atmosphere seems like it will be different from camp, in ways it is already proving to be the same. I have become part of a family not only in my dorm, but in my LC as well. I hope to continue making friends and strengthen the bonds I have already formed. I am excited to continue expanding my horizons at Baruch.

I am Sasha Hakimian, a Persian Jew from Great Neck, New York. The public school I went to mostly consists of white Jews, so I am not used to the diversity that exists at Baruch. I do in fact like this refreshing change in environment. I am used to living in a sheltered community, so the “city life” has definitely opened my eyes. I spend my time with my family and friends, and know almost everyone in my town. One experience that has shaped my life happened earlier in my senior year- after my high school principal announced that a hate group would be protesting by our school. On September 25^th, 2009, the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas stood in front of my high school’s front lawn. They are a horrible group of people who live their lives protesting around the nation and holding up signs that say “God Hates Israel” and other hateful things. Having experienced hate firsthand, I now realize that it is a reality and should not be tolerated. My values and beliefs in life consist of being a good person and really helping others around me. My senior year was the best year of my life, with many great memories. I had visited Baruch because my sister attends, and she always raves about it. Starting the semester, I was very “iffy” about the situation- I always wanted to go away and have the ultimate “college experience.” However, being a young Persian girl, my family believes otherwise. But I do make the best of my time here, luckily having friends from my hometown and striving to meet new, interesting people. I did not expect to have so much work, though- I feel like it’s junior year all over again! I hope to get through this tough semester, maintaining a high average, and having a good time.

Sitting on the porch of my Grandmother’s house in Ukraine, chewing sunflower seeds, eating таранька and playing cards.That’s where I feel happy.

It’s where I was born and spent my childhood. A childhood immortalized in my mind as one of never-ending bliss. I’m not sure if it’s my faulty memory that betrays me or if it really was a time when I was truly happy, my brain uncluttered with worries and problems. Thinking back to it I remember constant parties at our apartment, my birthdays with the assortment of delicious homemade cakes my mother used to make, the packages that arrived from our Grandparents in America, which me and my cousin would voraciously unpack, bursting with excitement and anxiety to find out what surprise was packed inside. I lived with my mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and two cousins- all packed into a small two-bedroom apartment. It was crammed and crazy, but I’d never been happier. Then, my cousins moved away to America and we followed the year after. My grandparents passed away, both from cancer. All the relatives grew up and moved on. I don’t get fancy homemade cakes for my birthday anymore. And it seems as if my parents don’t have any friends here. Not to mention all the fighting that goes on between them- a reason I’m staying in the city for college, I’m the mediator. The one that defends my mom and calms down my brother. But I guess that’s what growing up is about. It’s about all the experiences- good AND bad. I wouldn’t be the same person if I didn’t have both. So who exactly is that person?

I’m indecisive and I get bored easily, always seeking new and exciting things to satisfy me.

I love photography and fashion.

I want to travel the world. Meet people and learn everything I don’t know. I never want to be stuck in one place for my whole life. What’s the point of having such a diverse and lively planet if we don’t bother to see it? So I spend a lot of time on travel sites, planning my future trips. Nerdy, I know.

I love to bake.

I’ve had a job since I was 13. I try to save most of my money for travelling.

I have an amazing brother. He’s eight and adorable…and smart and kind and can cheer anyone up. We kind of come in a two-for-one package. If you get to know me, you will undoubtedly get to know my brother.

My mom inspires me in so many ways. She has an ethereal calm about her, as if she’s never afraid of anything. I work to be more like her. To get past my cynicisms and judgments. To believe in people and always assume the best in every situation.

Even though I’m not in the bubble of effervescent childhood anymore, I find happiness in new things. In meeting new people, in trying new foods, in just hanging out with my brother. And whenever I visit Ukraine I can still indulge in those childhood memories.

So that’s where I’ve been and who I am. On the part of where I’m going, I have absolutely no idea. Hopefully around the world…