My name is Hamza Munir. I go by my first name, Hamza. I am a finance major and, quite frankly, have been enjoying my time so far here at Baruch College. Some things that I enjoy doing are playing basketball, spending time with my family and loved ones, and now that I started being a little bit more independent financially, I have to add travel to the list. Thankfully, besides my fantastic girlfriend, I have traveled more this year than in my entire life. She loves to read, and one novel that we shared is called “They Cage The Animals At Night by Jennings Micheal Burch.” I had read this autobiography at a very young age, back when I was 10. It is one of my top readers I had to share it with her, and we read it together as a book club. This memoir tells the story of how tragic and flawed the American foster home systems are. He was passed from abusive home to home at a very young age. The reason why this text stays very close to my heart is because of how much I value family, not just mine but every single family. Family is everything, and my siblings, as well as my parents, shaped who I am to this current day, which is something I will be indebted to forever. 

Hi my name is Ibrahim Efe Vurkac, but I prefer to be called Efe and this is pronounced as F-A. Also my pronouns are he/him. I am currently a lower sophomore in Baruch and I’m currently majoring in finance. I was born in Istanbul, Turkey and till the age of 6 I was in turkey. My family and I moved to Brooklyn, New York where I currently live and study. Basketball is one of my favorite sports to play to get away from problems and it is fun to play in my free time. My favorite basketball player is Giannis antetokounpo. I grew up playing soccer/futbol in Turkey but ever since I came to America, it has been my favorite sport. In addition to playing sports I like to hang out with my friends and family when I get the chance to, but I usually prefer my own company. My favorite genres for movies are action, adventure, and comedy. My favorite actors of all time are Adam Sandler and Ryan Reynolds. I don’t really read any texts or books unless it’s for an English class or any other class that I take. However I do have a photograph that does stick out to me. It is any photograph that shows me as a baby or a little kid. These photographs stick out to me because they show the importance of the saying “time flies”. The saying represents how fast that time goes by. It almost feels like a year ago when I was just on a plane to New York with my family and now I am in my second year of college, which is so fascinating to me. Time goes by in a blink of an eye and it’s important to not waste it and take advantage of it.

Hi my name is Steven Villalva and calling me by my first name is fine . I’m entering my sophomore year and I’m currently 19 years old. Over the summer I went to Los Angeles with a group of friends and it was my first time on a plane or being that far away from New York. I spent a week out there and loved everything about it. From the attraction spots like Santa Monica pier to the hot weather, LA was a great first experience for traveling. As for when I’m back home I usually spend time at work , at home or with my friends. I work at Dunkin Donuts and people really do love their coffees in the morning . It tends to be busy most of the day so it’s a relief when the shift is over. When it comes to my days off I try to spend time with my family or friends. At home my little brother usually always asks me to play video games with him and when we are not playing we are usually in the living room with my mom. However when i’m not at home i’m outside with my friends. We go around the city looking around sneaker stores and just spending a good time together.

  Regarding some forms of text that have had an impact on me , I recently watched a movie by the name of The Shawshank Redemption. The movie was about a person who was falsely accused of murder of his wife. The jail which he went to was nothing but corruptness and torture. However the main character never gave up and tried to make the place better for himself and everyone around him. He praises hope and how hope in a person should never die because good things don’t die. I connected to the message because growing up me and my family dealt with many different types of issues. We struggled a lot but never gave up and stood with each other. My family holds a very important place in my heart and I’m grateful for all they do for me.The movie reminded me the importance of hope and how much of an impact a person’s mentality could have on their view of life . Everything gets better with just the right mindset 

Hello everyone my name is Mafoune Ouattara. I’m a sophomore at Baruch. I’m from Mali and the Ivory Coast which are part of West Africa. I was born in Ivory Coast when I was seven years old I moved back to Mali. I came here in 2017. I speak French, and my native language and I’m looking forward to learning how to speak Spanish because speaking multiple languages has a lot of advantages in your incoming career. I’m majoring in business administration. I first joined Baruch College because I heard it’s a great college for any business career that you are interested in, and it will prepare you well in your career journey at Baruch. From my experience, I can say that I got more experience than I was expecting during my journey at Baruch.

I especially don’t have one hubby. I like to listen to music, watch Netflix to distract myself, go to the theatre, and I regularly cook since back home, so cooking is one of my biggest experiences. I loved Playing came especially on the subway. I was playing soccer when I was in high school. I have always wanted to play soccer since I was little. I love playing soccer but I stopped due to some knee injuries. Making friends is most of my biggest goals because meeting new people will give you a lot of experience. I currently work as a cashier in a clothing store, and I had a lot of experience by working in the store. First of all, I was working on the floor helping customers. Later on, I started working as a cashier. I don’t have any words or text that can describe myself. The only thing I can say, I’m responsible, I’m independent, and I’m confident. 

I’m looking forward to meeting y’all and having fun and working together as a team during our journey at Baruch.

Hi, my name is America Salgado. I’m a sophomore majoring in finance. Recently I got a new job at a Toyota Service Center which is better than my previous job and have more coworkers that help out when I need help. Also recently I went to a Bad Bunny concert which was an experience I will never forget, got merch, and had a good time for 3 hours straight. 

Last semester (Spring 22’) was my first semester here at Baruch and for my freshman year seminar class we had to read a book that one of the professor here at Baruch wrote called The World According to Fannie Davis by Bridgett M. Davis. There was a part of this book that resonated with me, it was when the main character Fannie Davis always gave food or anything that people needed without even thinking about it or asking anything in return, if she had she would give. Which reminded me of my mother and it’s ironic since the author Bridgett is actually telling the story of her mother Fannie. Another thing I liked about Fannie was when she stated that if she had, why wouldn’t she give the best to her family, live a luxurious life, and treat herself for her hard work. Fannie worked hard for her money in a time period where there was a limited amount of African Americans being successful, especially women. People looked up to her for her success and dedication in running her number business that was mostly runned by white men. Fannie’s job took a tremendous amount of her time but made sure each of her children had some time alone with her. Even though I didn’t finish the book completely, I resonated with the author and took some advice from Fannie. If you have, why not give and enjoy and treat yourself for your hard work.

Hi! My name is Eileen Li. I’m a sophomore here at Baruch college and am majoring in accounting. I’m also a self-taught artist and started drawing at the age of 10. I like to draw mainly drawing cartoon/anime characters derived usually from my own imagination. While drawing I like having music playing in the background, as I do find them to be very calming.

Just recently I picked up a book at the library called ‘Useful Delusions, the power and paradox of the self-deceiving brain’ by Shankar Vedantam. What caught my eye was definitely the title of the book. Before checking this book out, I watched a crime documentary about a girl who stalked a guy under the delusion that they are meant to be together, so immediately after seeing the title of the book I knew I had to read it. I haven’t gotten so far into the book, and just a few pages in, but something really stuck with me. “I realized that one reason people cling to false beliefs is because self-deceptions can sometimes be functional- it enables us to accomplish useful social, psychological or biological goals” -(Shanker Vedantam). It seems very obvious, yet some people think it’s wrong to be delusional, that it is best to face reality. Being in a delusion could mean that one is escaping from whatever they are dealing with in real life. And the same people will tell us to follow our dreams, to believe in our dreams, and keep chasing it. Is dreaming not a delusion? In the case where the girl was stalking the guy, wasn’t she just following her dreams? If the difference lies in whether or not your delusion is harmful to someone else, then what about the “Church of Love”. This is a case that Vendatam referenced in the book. There was mail fraud, that seems to have actually benefited some of the victims, as some claim that it had saved them from committing suicide as a result of fraud. Although I had not yet finished reading this book, something else was made clear. Which is not everything is black and white.

Hello! My name is Bansari Patel; you can call me Bansari. I’m a transfer student at Baruch College from Queensborough Community College. I’m an international student. I finished my Associate (A.S.) degree at QCC. Now I’m transferring to Baruch for my Bachelor’s in Biological science, and this is my first semester at Baruch. However, I graduated in science and have studied Biotechnology in India, but I’m doing Bachleros again here because of the different education systems between USA and India. Ever since I was a kid, I was always interested in how laboratory researchers played an important role in finding cures for diseases. My long-term educational goal is to obtain a Master’s degree in Biology and get a job as a laboratory researcher. During my study at QCC, I joined in CUNY Research Scholer Program. Because of that, I learned plenty of new things and gained creativity. I expanded my knowledge on the work that goes into acquiring accurate research data. 

My hobbies include watching Bollywood movies, reading comic books, and watching cricket. Among everything, traveling with friends and family is my favorite. I traveled to many countries like Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, Europe, etc. Traveling helps make me happier and healthier. It motivates me, freshens my mind, and opens up a new perspective on the world.

I like to participate in volunteer work because this is the right way to help others. I want to watch sports, especially Cricket, similar to baseball because, in India, Cricket is the most popular sport. I know cricket, and I enjoy watching bowling, fielding, and batting.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all and work together as a team to ace this class and semester.

Hi Everyone!

My name is Shira (pronounced “she-ra”). I am an upper Sophomore/Junior here at Baruch. I am a transfer student, so this is my first semester here. Some interesting facts about me: I graduated high school a year early, and I am a property manager at a real estate office – dealing with way too many tenants and issues that come along with living in buildings. I love to look on Zillow, cook, sing, act, travel, and spend time with my lovely boyfriend.

I also love music, broadway, and all of the aspects that come along with theater. I grew up religious, so juggling religion and theater was really difficult. A while ago, I decided to give up pursuing a career in theater, as it would interfere with my love for family time and religion. Theater still holds a really special place in my heart, as it allowed me to express feelings I normally was not comfortable expressing from my own person. It let me step out of my comfort zone, while also contrarily comforted me. If an opportunity ever would come up for me to pursue theater part time, I would jump on it. However, as of now, I enjoy it from a distance. While going through this time in my life of what to pursue, I stumbled upon Real Estate. I now work as a property manager, managing over 30 properties over Brooklyn and managing over 1000 tenants. A more recent inspiration though was to pursue architecture as well. However, I am still unsure.

A book that I am currently reading is called “Atomic Habits.” I am sure many of you have heard of it; but if you have not, it is about how to build constructive habits to establish productivity. One line that stood out to me was “Imagine a plane taking off from Los Angeles and directed to New York. If the pilot decided to adjust the course by 3.5 degrees to the south previous to departure, the plane would slightly move few centimeters, and no one would probably notice. However, throughout the journey, the impact of that little change would be tremendous––to the point that the plane would land in Washington DC, instead of New York.” (Clear, James, Atomic Habits)

This stood out to me because, in life, we can change our direction which will change the outcomes of future possibilities. For example, let’s say I got an F in a class in high school. I probably would not have been accepted to Baruch, and be in this class now. One mile, one decision is one opportunity or destination missed. Keep in mind that I did not write ‘Mistake’, I am a firm believer that almost nothing is a mistake, and we are meant to be where we end up.

I look forward to meeting you all soon!

– Shira

Hey there! My name is Helen Arias but you can just call me Helen. I am a sophomore here at Baruch college and only 19 years old. Something interesting you may want to know about me is that I am an afterschool counselor for the YMCA. I work with elementary school kids at Ps.257 and am in charge of creating fun academic lesson plans for the afterschool program. Other hobbies I enjoy are cooking, baking, and going on fun road trips. I am pretty much down to do anything fun. One thing I forgot to mention is that I love to watch movies and tv shows, especially the ones that are based on true events.

Speaking of movies, one that left a lasting impression on me was The Pursuit of Happyness. When I saw this movie I was only 12 years old. After watching this movie it made me feel grateful for everything that I had. I also felt a lot of empathy for Christopher who was played by Jaden Smith who played the little boy in the movie. I felt empathy since he was just a child born into a family that unfortunately was struggling. And as a child, I always begged my parents to get me new sneakers every time a new release came out. I always got upset since I never got what I wanted only what my parents could afford. This movie made me realize that my parents gave me everything they could afford and I had to be grateful for what I got since there are children in this world who probably never got new shoes or anything. This movie shows that not everyone has it easy in life and not everything is handed to you but that doesn’t mean giving up no matter where you are in life. This movie made me realize that I can be at the bottom but that can’t be an excuse for you not to hustle.

Being grateful for what I have now is very important to me. As well as not looking down at someone for something they don’t have. I hope those who read my post enjoy it. I will insert a collage with pictures of sweets I have baked as long as a picture of myself.

Welcome. Because of our hybrid structure, we won’t be meeting in-person until Wednesday, August 31st. Here are your assignments for the week. Please pay careful attention to any due dates I have assigned, and don’t be shy about reaching out via email ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

1.In advance of Wednesday’s class, please read the syllabus for our course. You can find it by clicking on “Syllabus” above. In a comment on this post, please share one observation and/or one question that you have about the information shared in the syllabus. Please do this before our class on Wednesday.

2. Compose a short (300-400 word) introduction to yourself and post it to our course blog. Be sure to create this as a “new post” rather than posting your introduction as a comment on this assignment. Please identify your blog by selecting the category “introductions.”  It’s up to you to decide what you wish to share with the class about your background, academic interests, hobbies, etc…,  but please also respond to the following questions. Please also let us know what name you’d like us to use to address you in the classroom and on the blog and what pronouns you’d prefer.

Describe a text that made a lasting impression on you. What was it about this text that stuck with you? Has this or any other text ever changed your perspective about some aspect of the world or your own life? How?  (You can understand the word “text” here to include written texts, movies, plays, songs, videos, or photographs.)  This could be something from your childhood or something you encountered very recently.  Don’t worry about choosing something “academic”; focus instead on choosing an example that is meaningful to you.

Please add a photograph to your post, if possible.  This can be a photograph of you or some other image that complements your post.

In order to create a new post, look for the button “Add New” under the “Posts” option.  Before you post your introduction, please select the category “introductions” on the right hand side of your screen.

Please share your introduction by Friday, September 2nd.

3. For next Wednesday’s class (Sept. 7th), please read Feng Menglong’s short story, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger”.    If you have already acquired the Norton Anthology, you can find the story in Volume D of the anthology. If you don’t yet have the required texts, you can find a link to the story under the “Texts” tab at the top of the blog.  Please bring a hard copy of the text with you to class on Wednesday or have the ability to access it electronically during class.  In a separate post, you can find discussion questions about the text. Please post a response to one of the questions either before or after class.

4.  In your blogs@baruch account, please replace the stock “Bearcat” photo with a photograph of yourself!