Baruch Scholars 2012

In order to complete the community service project, it took more than just a group effort. The community service project encouraged us to use all the resources and help available to all Baruch students. Cooperation in the group is crucial, but various resources in Baruch College were also very important. Having the study rooms in the library provided a quiet place for our group to meet up, plan, discuss, and put together the PowerPoint and proposal forms together. Knowing that these study rooms exist, we would be able to use them in the future for group projects and to study together for midterms and finals.

Understanding the goals of community service reminded me of the importance of giving back and made me realize how many people in the community need our help and need our support. It reminds me of how privileged we are as honor students at Baruch College and how we need to help those who are not as privileged as us. This also makes have a stronger sense of responsibility and makes me feel obligated to help out the community.

In the next 3 years, I see myself as an active participant in the community. I plan to join VITA next year and help the poor file their taxes. I really wanted to join this club this year, but was unable to because of a planned vacation during the winter break. I also want to join TEAM Baruch and help other freshmen just like how Sam helps us. She was very helpful and gave a lot of useful advice such as telling us about the official ratings for professors, encouraging us not to give up in PUB, and also helped us in psychology by sending out her previous portfolio. I know that some peer mentors are not as helpful and active as she is and some of my friends are not receiving as much help. I want to participate in TEAM Baruch so that I could be a good peer mentor for future freshmen.

There is no way to return to the past unless you mysteriously discover or invent a time machine. You cannot simply tinker with time or even freeze time for two seconds. When the batteries run out of power on one clock, other clocks continue to function, following nearly consistent tick tocks. With that said, it has been 102 days since the first day of fall semester started, 102 days since the first day of classes with an amazing LC, 102 days since the official college journey began.

In the beginning of the semester, I joined Baruch’s Japan Club with two friends but stopped attending club meetings after they stopped attending as well. My first club experience may have been short-lived but I have designed my schedule for the spring semester to force and/or encourage myself to try joining a club again.

I would have to say that the library is the most useful of the resources I used. When we were little, we may have thought that any library would be similar to a “horror movie,” but the Newman Library has proved to be far from such a film. To me, it is a place filled with convenient printers, overrated sofa-chairs (I personally did not find them relaxing), and tables that provide me with larger workspaces than I have at home.

While my group and I had not used Baruch’s resources to find the non-profit organization that we would be volunteering at in the spring, I think that the search for the organization and the presentation have taught me a few things. First: You have to consider not just the service, but what the service means. I have volunteered at a profit organization for the last three years, mainly assisting teachers and teaching children one-on-one. That was the service — what the service meant to the organization was a greater efficiency and one more volunteer on the team. I hope that volunteering at God’s Love We Deliver in the spring will mean the same although it is a non-profit. Second: You have to search for alternatives. Initially, my group and I had contacted a staff member from the City Parks Foundation. Unfortunately, a situation formed (partially due to Hurricane Sandy) and we were forced to find a new organization.

I have personally used the second lesson to seek a method to do something I have wanted to try for years: learn Chinese, particularly Mandarin. At first, I tried using Mango Languages, a language program that is available on the Newman Library website (under Databases). Regrettably, the program did not help me. I considered taking a Chinese language class at Baruch only to be convinced that the class would be too difficult for me. That did not stop my search; I finally found a beginner’s class (by beginner, I mean exceedingly beginner, I am not ashamed to admit I am sitting in the class with five/six-year olds) that my former volunteer place offered to me for free.

In the next three years, I see myself pursuing further goals and hopefully in more support centers. While I have been idle for much of my first semester due to bad time management, I hope that I will be able to “branch out” and accomplish more in the next three years.

Although my group did not utilize many resources, I am aware that my fellow peers have. I have noticed that resources such as the library, student clubs, peers, faculty, etc. can prove to be very helpful and will help me throughout my years at college. I plan to utilize as many of these resources as possible, and I am sure they will help me to succeed. My group already had everything we needed for our project through one of our members. Although we did not utilize any resources such as the library, we did receive feedback from our advisors: Sandy and Ms. Lalite. Their guidance and reviews helped us to put together a coherent project. I have come to realize that I will definitely need to visit some more academic centers. Just because I did not use them yet does not mean I should avoid them. I have already been spending extensive amounts of time in the library during my breaks between classes, just to study or just to relax. I am sure that I will be spending plenty more time there throughout college. I have not joined a student club as of yet, but I will definitely be looking to join one or more next semester. I have heard from many people that it is a great experience and it benefits you in the long run as well. I have purposely left a break on Thursday for next semester so that I may be able to participate in a club during club hours. In regards to community service, I have found out that there are so many opportunities to volunteer and to make a difference. I am well at ease, knowing that I have many different organizations to choose from to perform my community service every year. Over the next three years, I hopefully see myself being more active among clubs, and utilizing more academic resources to further help me maintain a high GPA.

Although my group did not utilize many resources, I am aware that my fellow peers have. I have noticed that resources such as the library, student clubs, peers, faculty, etc. can prove to be very helpful and will help me throughout my years at college. I plan to utilize as many of these resources as possible, and I am sure they will help me to succeed. My group already had everything we needed for our project through one of our members. Although we did not utilize any resources such as the library, we did receive feedback from our advisors: Sandy and Ms. Lalite. Their guidance and reviews helped us to put together a coherent project. I have come to realize that I will definitely need to visit some more academic centers. Just because I did not use them yet does not mean I should avoid them. I have already been spending extensive amounts of time in the library during my breaks between classes, just to study or just to relax. I am sure that I will be spending plenty more time there throughout college. I have not joined a student club as of yet, but I will definitely be looking to join one or more next semester. I have heard from many people that it is a great experience and it benefits you in the long run as well. I have purposely left a break on Thursday for next semester so that I may be able to participate in a club during club hours. In regards to community service, I have found out that there are so many opportunities to volunteer and to make a difference. I am well at ease, knowing that I have many different organizations to choose from to perform my community service every year. Over the next three years, I hopefully see myself being more active among clubs, and utilizing more academic resources to further help me maintain a high GPA.

I would like to be completely honest with this assignment and say that my outlook on my resources, future in college, and community service, hasn’t changed at all. Baruch offers a wide variety of resources for all of its students, and I am grateful for that, but I haven’t utilized them for any projects. I’ve visited the library for personal reading, contacted departments for course registration, and researched the multiplicity of centers for my own reasons. However, I don’t believe that I haven’t gained anything from that. Despite the fact that they weren’t helpful in certain ways, they were helpful in the ways that I needed them.
I would also like to say that my outlook on community service hasn’t been altered. This is due to the fact that I’ve always respected the value and experience that ties into it. Personally, I find it difficult to imagine that people may not understand the true value and benefit of doing community service. I don’t quite understand how they’ve never considered that it may effect them personally. This is most likely due to my experiences with volunteer work, but I feel like it’s also common sense. I don’t mean to offend anyone when I say this, but it is fairly obvious good moral behavior. It is necessary that everyone should reach out to help somebody other than themselves, because it is the right thing to do. Helping others is generous, beneficial and productive. And since most of the people who need help are those in vastly different situations, it is no wonder that we’d gain learning experiences and grow as individuals. Hence, it is hard for me to believe that a lot of people don’t understand that volunteer work is such an incredibly important and beneficial idea. And on the other hand, I feel as if the whole concept of encouraging community service is an attempt to glorify the idea. We shouldn’t be applauded for understanding service, we shouldn’t be pressed into doing it, and we shouldn’t be bragging about our positions as Baruch scholars. A true understanding of community service is the understanding that you won’t be rewarded for your deeds. It is understanding that true mitzvah’s are done through every day interactions, not eight hour mandated periods of time. It is understanding your role in your community, internalizing it, and taking action. By presenting all of our intended volunteer work and our ‘revelations’ of scholarly status, we’ve simply stated the obvious. I understand the effort in trying to get Honors students to understand their value and leadership capabilities, but I feel as if we’ve been given way too little credit. Personally, I know what kind of role I hold and what importance volunteer work holds. I’ve always viewed it that way, and I always will. Therefore, I don’t believe that I’ve changed my outlook. I simply reinforced my beliefs.

On another note, I’ve explored a few of the clubs. Initially, I planned on joining over three clubs within the semester. However, I realized that it would be far too difficult. I then spaced out my clubs based on their goals, interests, and my priorities. This allows me to dabble in all of the fields that I find interesting without taking time away from my academics. Personally, I decided that I would join, and stick with, the Radio for the majority of my college experience. This ‘club’ is closely related to my major and is definitely something I’m interested in. Additionally, I chose to participate in the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program , which I will join in my sophomore year, and possibly the Ticker or some creative writing group. Honestly, I also feel as if the clubs are slightly difficult to handle. Some of these require you to attend mandatory meetings which are held at the same time as other club meetings. This makes it difficult to prioritize interests and actually attend these sessions. In my experience, I joined the Radio as a part of the Operations group. However, I was told that there was nothing for me to do there at the time. I would like to participate, and not seem like the type of personal that bails, but there really isn’t anything I could do and I can’t go to events that are held around 8pm. Therefore, I don’t think it is fair that I should be held accountable for not participating as much as the others. This is one of the difficulties I experienced with club-joining. On the other hand, though, I don’t think it will continuously be a struggle. I envision the next three years to be quite interesting, educational, and hopefully rewarding on many levels. With the freedom to do things on my own, and time to do these things, I believe I’ll get more out of the experience. I plan on following through with my major, finally settling on a minor, possibly studying abroad, and then graduating happily. I would like to contribute as much as I can to the college during my time here, but my primary focus is to make the most out of my education and keep my grades up for the Honors program in the meantime.

It is truly a blessing to have all kinds of resource available in college. Throughout the Community Service Project preparation, I have come to understand and appreciate the roles of faculty and staff. First of all, without them, we would not be participating in this project. As we are also required to present to faculty, staff, and peers, the feedbacks and comments we received from them have come to refine my thinking about the meaning of community service. Although I have not gone to the support center for the community service project, I have gone to the writing center a few times for my English class and it has proved to be very helpful. I have really come to appreciate such support centers and the people within them. I have yet to join a student club but I am looking into it and do plan on joining one, perhaps next year. I believe these resources that are readily available, whether it be for my team project or other matters, will contribute to my success as a person and as a student within Baruch College. Faculty, staff, and peers can serve as role models for me and people whom I can seek guidance from and perhaps confide in. Support centers and the library can help with technical stuff with the loads of other resources they provide. Such resources will guide me, through the college path of other courses and my future success, as I learn to utilize them.

My understanding of community service has gone to a deeper level as a result of my participation in the project since it pushes me to think past the mere action of serving but the meaning of serving. Although the project is a only requirement, my group and I decide to make it more than just a requirement and turn it into something meaningful. This project is a great inspiration for me as it allows me to contribue to and engage in the community. I have come to appreciate what I have, for example, resources in college, and learn to utilize that in order to help others. In the next three years, I will actively participate in clubs and community services as well as in academics. I won’t only be a student studying hard to finish school, but also a student working hard to contribute to the society.

It is truly a blessing to have all kinds of resource available in college. Throughout the Community Service Project preparation, I have come to understand and appreciate the roles of faculty and staff. First of all, without them, we would not be participating in this project. As we are also required to present to faculty, staff, and peers, the feedbacks and comments we received from them have come to refine my thinking about the meaning of community service. Although I have not gone to the support center for the community service project, I have gone to the writing center a few times for my English class and it has proved to be very helpful. I have really come to appreciate such support centers and the people within them. I have yet to join a student club but I am looking into it and do plan on joining one, perhaps next year. I believe these resources that are readily available, whether it be for my team project or other matters, will contribute to my success as a person and as a student within Baruch College. Faculty, staff, and peers can serve as role models for me and people whom I can seek guidance from and perhaps confide in. Support centers and the library can help with technical stuff with the loads of other resources they provide. Such resources will guide me, through the college path of other courses and my future success, as I learn to utilize them.

My understanding of community service has gone to a deeper level as a result of my participation in the project since it pushes me to think past the mere action of serving but the meaning of serving. Although the project is a only requirement, my group and I decide to make it more than just a requirement and turn it into something meaningful. This project is a great inspiration for me as it allows me to contribue to and engage in the community. I have come to appreciate what I have, for example, resources in college, and learn to utilize that in order to help others. In the next three years, I will actively participate in clubs and community services as well as in academics. I won’t only be a student studying hard to finish school, but also a student working hard to contribute to the society.

The Community Service project that I took part in this semester did help me reach out and utilize the resources around me. More than the actual support centers of Baruch, I was able to learn from my fellow group members. The entire process was a testament to efficient teamwork and to intuitive execution. I found that I was able to learn from the way my fellow peers went about completing a task, and will attempt to apply their creativity, diligence, and  professionalism to future assignments that I complete. I was fortunate enough to work with honors students and see the type of work ethic and skills that earned them that title.

In addition to learning from my peers, this project helped me to a degree in utilizing the faculty to learn from their expertise. Both Sandy and Ms. Lalite helped to offer advice and constructive criticism in making our presentation successful. Unfortunately, I did not seek out any support centers such as the library or student clubs as a result of this project. Yet it did help in affirming my trust and appreciation for the continuous assistance offered to me in the form of my amazing advisors.

In the next semester I do plan on joining at least one club, and possibly joining the school newspaper. Maybe it is a coincidence, but I have been more active in reaching out and communicating with my professors and other faculty. I have been speaking with Dr. Abe Tawil, a dean and professor of management in Baruch, in planning out my future course- taking strategy, and in finding my major. I was also made aware of the STARR development center through this course, which i know will prove to help me tremendously here in Baruch.

I was lucky enough that my High School made a requirement for me to complete a huge amount of community service hours before I graduate. From then on, I valued the importance of service and incorporated it into my life. The project did help me diversify the type of service and the experiences I had taken part in previously. As of now, I am unsure of where ill be in three years. I hope that if i continue to soak up everything that is offered to me, experience as many different disciplines as possible, I will find my calling.

The Community Service project that I took part in this semester did help me reach out and utilize the resources around me. More than the actual support centers of Baruch, I was able to learn from my fellow group members. The entire process was a testament to efficient teamwork and to intuitive execution. I found that I was able to learn from the way my fellow peers went about completing a task, and will attempt to apply their creativity, diligence, and  professionalism to future assignments that I complete. I was fortunate enough to work with honors students and see the type of work ethic and skills that earned them that title.

In addition to learning from my peers, this project helped me to a degree in utilizing the faculty to learn from their expertise. Both Sandy and Ms. Lalite helped to offer advice and constructive criticism in making our presentation successful. Unfortunately, I did not seek out any support centers such as the library or student clubs as a result of this project. Yet it did help in affirming my trust and appreciation for the continuous assistance offered to me in the form of my amazing advisors.

In the next semester I do plan on joining at least one club, and possibly joining the school newspaper. Maybe it is a coincidence, but I have been more active in reaching out and communicating with my professors and other faculty. I have been speaking with Dr. Abe Tawil, a dean and professor of management in Baruch, in planning out my future course- taking strategy, and in finding my major. I was also made aware of the STARR development center through this course, which i know will prove to help me tremendously here in Baruch.

I was lucky enough that my High School made a requirement for me to complete a huge amount of community service hours before I graduate. From then on, I valued the importance of service and incorporated it into my life. The project did help me diversify the type of service and the experiences I had taken part in previously. As of now, I am unsure of where ill be in three years. I hope that if i continue to soak up everything that is offered to me, experience as many different disciplines as possible, I will find my calling.

The Community Service project that I took part in this semester did help me reach out and utilize the resources around me. More than the actual support centers of Baruch, I was able to learn from my fellow group members. The entire process was a testament to efficient teamwork and to intuitive execution. I found that I was able to learn from the way my fellow peers went about completing a task, and will attempt to apply their creativity, diligence, and  professionalism to future assignments that I complete. I was fortunate enough to work with honors students and see the type of work ethic and skills that earned them that title.

In addition to learning from my peers, this project helped me to a degree in utilizing the faculty to learn from their expertise. Both Sandy and Ms. Lalite helped to offer advice and constructive criticism in making our presentation successful. Unfortunately, I did not seek out any support centers such as the library or student clubs as a result of this project. Yet it did help in affirming my trust and appreciation for the continuous assistance offered to me in the form of my amazing advisors.

In the next semester I do plan on joining at least one club, and possibly joining the school newspaper. Maybe it is a coincidence, but I have been more active in reaching out and communicating with my professors and other faculty. I have been speaking with Dr. Abe Tawil, a dean and professor of management in Baruch, in planning out my future course- taking strategy, and in finding my major. I was also made aware of the STARR development center through this course, which i know will prove to help me tremendously here in Baruch.

I was lucky enough that my High School made a requirement for me to complete a huge amount of community service hours before I graduate. From then on, I valued the importance of service and incorporated it into my life. The project did help me diversify the type of service and the experiences I had taken part in previously. As of now, I am unsure of where ill be in three years. I hope that if i continue to soak up everything that is offered to me, experience as many different disciplines as possible, I will find my calling.