Baruch makes The New York Times for Athletics and Academics
Baruch has found itself in The New York Times quite a bit this year—in one case, for a rather unusual circumstance.
The “paper of record” featured the college’s men’s volleyball team on its January 26 front page in an article headlined, “The (Real) Team at the Center of a Santos Tale.” Written by journalists Billy Witz and Corey Kilgannon, the article spotlighted Baruch athletics in the wake of U.S. Representative George Santos’s false claim about having graduated from the College and starring on its men’s volleyball team.
Rather than dwelling on Santos, the article went on to highlight the grit and determination of the typical Baruch student-athlete: “The [men’s volleyball] team sported a 3.42 gradepoint average last spring. There are 13 finance majors, two studying accounting and others pursuing degrees that are designed around a career path rather than ensuring they remain eligible to play sports. In the off-season, many intern at finance or real estate firms, and some spend a semester studying abroad.”
Baruch sophomore Jack Centeno, co-captain of the men’s volleyball team, was quoted in the story: “It’s challenging for everybody to handle both [athletics and academics], but I love being here, playing every day.”
Baruch’s Director of Athletics and Recreation Heather MacCulloch also shared her insight, highlighting the importance of athletics for all Baruch students. “Two hours in the pool where I’m not figuring out calculus calculations, I don’t have to have my McDonald’s uniform on, and my mom isn’t yelling at me for not taking out the trash,” she said. “Those are hours of solace and rejuvenation.”
Outside of the Santos saga, the Times also featured Baruch in an April article in which it ranked the College #1 nationally using a brand-new “Build Your Own College Rankings” tool. The tool, which drew from an extensive database of 900 four-year colleges and universities, allows prospective students and their families to create customized college rankings based on their priorities across 10 key criteria.
Baruch earns the top spot when factoring in a combination of priorities including economic mobility, high earnings, academic profile, and racial diversity.