Describe yourself.

Im relatively outgoing, but once you get to know me Im extremely outgoing. I like to think that Im funny, even though Im probably not. I have a close knit group of friends that consists of 7 people. In my school I was the youngest person in my grade, but coming here Ive met many people that are younger than me. My birthday is December 14, 2000 for reference. Im not basically all types of music except for hard rock but my favorite type of music is currently alternative, although it changes a lot. I love stars and everything that has to do with the night, including night life and sleeping.  Ive loved the city ever since I was a little girl so I knew I wanted to go to college in NYC. I chose Baruch partly because my brother just graduates from this school and because I knew I wanted to do something with business. I was on my high schools varsity cheerleading team ever since freshman year and I plan on going back to help coach the team throughout the year.

Describe yourself as a writer.

I think that I am a very literal writer. Im not good at incorporating big words and I dont have an extremely vast vocabulary. I can write research papers and essays on school material much easier than I can write anything creative. I believe that I have good grammar and my spelling is okay. Usually my downfall in writing is that I dont explain myself enough in the choices that I make. I have experience writing long papers from last year. In my AP Research class I wrote a 34 paged research paper where I had to come up with my own question, so I know how to manage writing time as well. That paper also showed me how I can use similar texts to guide my own style of writing.

We are told to internalize pain, whether it is emotional pain from a devastating breakup, or maybe physical pain from breaking both your legs in a fall. While containing whatever slew of sensations following such events may help you to temporarily regain your footing, it can come back much stronger than before.  But what happens when the pain becomes too much to simply stifle using sheer will? It explodes.

I speak, of course, of my extremely irritated bowels.

As a healthy young man, I seldom succumb to such immense physical pain.  My father, who had grown up on traditional Korean values, is quite a severe man.  I aspired to be as thick-skinned and stoic as he, even to the point of mimicking his impossibly perpetual brow-furrow.  Like then, I only come up with a silly, pained yet confused expression as I tighten my grip, knuckles white, on the reigns of my rectum.

Unsurprisingly, it is not the first time I have felt this way, and I have spicy food to thank for all the wonderful memories.  Quite the forbidden fruit, spicy food is.  For the man who desires something more from his food, capsaicinized comestibles ought to do the trick: you bite, they bite back.  I, for having bitten out of the forbidden fruit, suffer a horrible and prolonged lower-abdominal discomfort.  Another one for the books, I guess.

[As a writer]

Kids never truly know how to use writing as a form of self-expression — at least not until they see how it’s done.  Ironically, I wrote up an instructional series aptly titled the “How To” series, containing acclaimed works such as “how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich”, and “how to plant a pumpkin seed”.

At some point I abandoned the monotonous and formulaic how-to series; it was around the time I began reading non-picture books.  A painful severance it was, having to let go of the colorful illustrations and lively visuals for pages upon pages of bland, mindless text.  What was even more sobering was having to later read non-fiction books, which eventually became the norm in all classes outside of ELA, as it was called in grade and middle school.

Writing, however, was something I never noticed myself growing in: it was something like not realizing how you grew a foot over the summer, or how your voice dropped a few semitones while you were all-too focused on how much the 13-year-old life sucked.  Much worse than life in communist Russia or Nazi Germany, really.

Maybe it was all those books?  Was I perhaps imitating my favorite authors, comedians, and/or internet personalities?  There is no wrong answer.

Having been in school for most of my life, I can say confidently most academic writing is not creative.  It sounds obvious, as academic writing, on paper (ha ha), is quite the opposite of creative writing.  We sometimes wind up in this pitfall of always writing scholarly (at times flat-out snobbish) pieces that might earn an A, but are devoid of character or personality.  Writing doesn’t have to be a chore, and I encourage more people to have fun with it wherever and whenever possible.  Though, I wouldn’t recommend cracking penis jokes on a company business report — someone would certainly have a bone to pick with you on the matter.

 

About Me

Hi! I love to meet new people and dive right into new experiences. One of my favorite things to do is travel so I get to immerse myself in so many different cultures and traditions. I find it so cool that someone can speak a completely different language, but can still find things we like to do in common [like shopping for clothes at Gap during my time with the Cancun natives or falling down an Youtube rabbit hole with my Chinese relatives]. All that separates us is a language barrier! One of the reasons I like Baruch is because the diversity is like no other college and I am so excited to begin this new journey of learning and exploring!

My Writing

In regards to my writing abilities, I am a decent. I feel that my writing has definitely gotten better and can honestly say that I started to enjoy writing witty personal narratives by writing quirky college supplement essays. I learned how to structure my thoughts more, and not just let them float around in a paragraph. I would rather write more informally, because it conveys a more personal and relatable message to my reader. I do occasionally like to write research papers too because I like seeing both sides of an issue and learning about current problems in society. There is room for improvement in my writing; I hope that this class can increase my vocabulary and transition skills.

As a city girl, I live in an environment full of huge buildings which is a contrast to my small structure. Growing up, I’ve always been known for my small height in which some people find “cute” and “adorable”. However, I would like to define myself the opposite of just that. I know that I’m much bigger than what people see on the outside. On the inside, I am fierce. I am eager. I love to meet new people and travel to wondrous places. I am always anticipating on what’s to come for my future and I have a big heart, which explains my care for friends, family, and small furry animals. My strong mind allows me to express my opinions and stand up for what I believe in. My persistence helps me never let anything get in my way. I may be small in height but I sure am big in heart, mind, and ambition.

Writing for me has always been a way to organize my thoughts. When I have to remind myself of something, I write it down. Even when I have to write a paper for class, I always write down key notes or phrases I want in the paper before actually writing the paper. Although writing isn’t my favorite thing to do and is definitely not a hobby, if I had to choose what type of writer I am, I would say I am a free writer. I love to free write because all I need is a pen and my own imagination. I also love to write in a way that people can relate to it. Communicating with people is something I love to do so when I write, I like to pretend that I’m talking or having a conversation with someone. I can’t say that I’m an excellent writer, let alone a good one, but I try my best and I think that’s all that matters. After all, writing is a form of art and there is no one way to do it.

 

About Me

I am a hard worker, determined, and open-minded person. I look forward to getting to know my fellow classmates better and am excited for what this semester brings. Coming from Maryland I am slowly learning all of the quirks that come along with New York City. I wouldn’t say I am comfortable with expressing myself at first, but over time I do open up. I believe in having fun and learning new things.

 

About My Writing

I’d like to believe I’m somewhat of a proficient writer. With that said, whenever I try to write I find it difficult to focus on the subject at hand. Often, I get caught up in what I should write next before I even finish the very sentence I’m working on. While other students may be halfway done with a writing, I would have barely started. I believe this to be my biggest problem. Constantly when I’m writing I pause to rethink if there is a better way to present a claim and if my original way isn’t good enough. Although I have improved in this area over the years I know there is room for more.

Describe Yourself

I am typically a quite and reserved person. I usually don’t talk a lot and on occasion goes out with people. I am one of those people who would rather choose staying home instead of hanging out with friends. I often spend my time watching videos and sometimes even play video games. I even draw on occasions, producing art digitally using my phone as I create some mediocre drawings. For me drawing is a hobby, and although I may like it, I don’t see myself doing it full time in the future. Currently in Baruch I plan on majoring in accounting, however I am quite skeptical about it. I hope that through my studies at Baruch, I can find a major that I would be happy in studying.

Describe Yourself As A Writer

In terms of my writing skills, I can say that it is somewhat mediocre. I was never quite confident in my writing skills and often doubt if what I write is good enough. Writing has never been my forte, though some parts of writing I find much more easier than others. I wasn’t always a fan of writing personal narratives, as I always have trouble decide what I should write about or how to execute it well. The most trouble that I have often is deciding what and how to write my essays well. That’s why I often preferred writing more analytical essays, as I would have the information and topics laid out for me and I would have less to decide about. Writing has not always been my favorite thing to do, however sometimes I can be good at it as well.

Describe Yourself

I am typically a very quiet person but if you get me to talk about something I am passionate about, like soccer or music, I can not stop talking. I would like to say I am very focused person but that’s just not who I am. I get bored very easily and I am always looking to the next thing. Saying that though, I do not like planning that far into the future and would rather deal with the current problems. If you asked “Where do you see yourself in 5 years,” I would honestly not know what to say and just try to change the subject. I dread getting that question in a job interview.

Describe yourself as a writer.

As a writer I find it very hard to put my thoughts on to the page and often find myself just staring at the prompt. Even after years and years of writing essays I still have problems putting my thoughts onto the page. I know what I want to write but I do not know how to write it. I would begin writing something and then immediately deleting it. I guess my problem is phrasing. I am most definitely not a strong writer and will not pretend to be.

Describe yourself.

I (Erik Alatorre) am someone who is easy to get along with. If you approach me with open arms I’ll show the same in return because it’s just the type of person I am. I am calm and collected when need-be but the side of me that likes to talk to people in groups has helped me tremendously in the past few years. I know that I’m smart and capable as a student and with the right mentality I can accomplish just about anything. I’m also the mediator, or the tie breaker, in most of the circles I’ve been in and I’ve enjoyed it because it gives me a sense of power.

Describe yourself as a writer.

I (Erik Alatorre) like to think of myself as a really good writer. I honestly believe that I write better than I speak. There is something about the freedom of writing vs speaking and letting your mind run on that excites me. There are no restriction as to what you can write about, in public speaking however, you have to censor yourself because you don’t want to offend your audience. I like to follow outlines as they help me jot down ideas and just incorporate my own little twists that bring it all together.

A Little About Me

I am a very dedicated and focused person. Many say I tend to be serious but, it comes just naturally to me. When there are tasks at hand, I direct my focus and finish those tasks. Even though I am a bit serious at times, I still have a relaxed and fun side which many are able to see if they spend some time with me. I like to dream and be a little crazy at times also. Both sides are usually seen when I am comfortable. I love being romantic and just a girly-girl when I’m happy and I feel that this quality attracts most of my friends. I love my family as well as the idea of family and community. The feeling of home makes me feel safe and comfortable. I also like to travel and would like to someday, however, I am waiting for when I am stable with my career and lifestyle to do so. I have a lot of dreams and goals in life that all equate to my idea of success.

 

Myself As A Writer

As a writer, I tend to go off on a tangent. I write as I speak and sometimes it feels like I am having a conversation with the text but, I think it’s just more interesting that way. When writing, I feel like I can be myself and really go in depth about topics I am passionate about. This freedom supports my tangents and when editing I usually have to remove my run-on sentences and extra information. I like to write to get down my thoughts as well. I feel that it really helps when I am stressed. I want to be a good writer and have my writing flow smoothly so I try to take as much feedback as I can get.