Monthly Archives: September 2023

As part of your work this semester, you will be working in small groups to prepare short presentations to accompany some of our readings. Each group will be working with one of our assigned texts. Your task is to come up with a CREATIVE way of exploring some aspect of the author, the work, or its context. These are NOT intended to be powerpoint reviews of an author’s biography, nor should they undertake an analysis of the text assigned. Instead, your job is to prepare a presentation that will complement or enrich or reading. For example, a presentation on Feng Menglong’s, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” might explore the social history of prostitution in 17th c China, or a presentation on Moliere might present a scene from the play using contemporary rhyming English. I am happy to meet with you to help you brainstorm!

Please use the linked Group Presentation Preference Form to identify your top three choices for this project. I will do my best to see that each of you is assigned to one of your choices. Please complete this form no later than Friday, September 15th.

My name is Jason Solis and I am a sophomore here at Baruch College. I am currently taking ENG 2850 with the same professor I had in my freshmen year while I was taking ENG 2100. Baruch has allowed me to interact with many people from different parts of New York City. I was been able to make friends from almost every borough and even some who are not from NYC. One fun experience here at Baruch is joining the radio club. It has also helped me network with many different people from many different clubs that our school has to offer.

I live in Brooklyn in a neighborhood called Bay Ridge. My middle school and high school were both minutes away from my house. Which meant that I only had to walk a few blocks to attend school. However, commuting to Baruch has been a totally different experience for me because I now have to take the train everyday. In the beginning of freshmen year it was exciting because I wanted to know what it felt like taking the train to school. Now I am not a huge fan of taking the train but I had to adjust. I chose to attend Baruch College because I look forward to pursue a career related to business. I am still in between marketing and accounting but I have not yet fully decided which career path is best fit for me. One of my goals for this semester is figuring which major I am mainly interested in. This would help me look for internships that can help me gain experience in that environment as soon as possible.

A favorite hobby of mine is DJ. This is the main reason why I joined the radio club here at Baruch. During club hours I hang out with people who also share the same interests as me and doing s0 helps me distract myself a little bit from the stress I receive from school and personal life. I am able to DJ with others sharing my skills and taste of music as well learning from them and their knowledge in different music genres. Within only a semester being part of the radio station I have been able to help organize many events in our campus. We are also working on many ideas to deliver even better events in the upcoming semesters.

Hi, my name is Anthony Vincente, I’m a transfer student from NCC and I started attending Baruch in January of this year. I’m an upper Sophomore and am majoring in International Business. Before going to college I joined the Marine Corps and served 4 years active duty and continue to serve today in the reserves. The Marine Corps has been an absolutely amazing experience for me that I’m extremely proud of. While in the Marine Corps I was first stationed in Yokosuka Japan where I lived just 1 hour south of Tokyo. After 2 years I then moved to California where I joined a new unit. With this unit I did much more training and was able to deploy to Kuwait during 2020. So, my Pandemic experience was pretty different from most other peoples. I finished up my active duty time in December 2020 and in January 2021 I began classes at NCC. Everything was still very remote for school by then and so it was a bit disappointing. I was looking forward to having classes in person especially since I was getting back into the flow of things again. But I later found it to be pretty nice to not have to commute in order to get to school. Along with having started up school again I pursued becoming a licensed in realtor. Since then I’ve been working part-time in the last two years as a realtor in Long island and NYC. Outside of my professional background I love to be outdoors. Hiking, camping and spending a day out in the sun breathing some fresh air is what makes me feel alive. I’ve trained in muay thai, ju jitsu, and Kempo Martial Arts throughout the years and was even able to get my blackbelt when I was in high school. I go to the movies about almost every week ($5 Tuesdays) and will often times spend a day in to relax at home watching movies too. I’ve always been a man with a plan, always looking at the future and trying to see what ways I can find to becoming successful.

Hello! My name is Nathan Qiu and I am taking ENG 2850 with the rest of you guys. I am currently a sophomore at Baruch. Most of you guys have probably not seen me around yet, because I currently have the flu.

I am from Brooklyn and lived in Brooklyn my whole life. My parents came from China and moved here so I would have a better life. They want me to be as successful as I possibly can be, so I try my best and do everything for them. I am absolutely grateful for what they have done for me, as I would not be the person I am today if they weren’t here for me.

One thing I enjoy in my free time is playing sports with my friends. I really enjoy playing basketball with my friends even though I may not be the best at it. I normally sit near the three-point line and wait for them to pass me the ball. I also play lacrosse. A fun fact about me is that I played lacrosse in high school. I started lacrosse in high school and I somehow became a captain my senior year. Another thing I enjoy is playing video games with my friends. I find it so enjoyable that my friends and I can do something even when we are stuck at home, and not able to go out.

As for my future, I truthfully have no idea what I am going to do. I just hope that if I take it one step at a time, I will be able to become successful and live a life that I would enjoy.

Hello guys. I hope everyone are doing great. My name is Merichel Almonte. I’m from Dominican Republic but now I’m living in Long island. I’m 20years old . My major is Marketing Management but I already have an Associate in Liberals Arts from Borough of Manhattan Community College. When I get here to the United States 5 years ago. I had a big changed because I left my mom in Dr and I’m not living with my dad either. In the beginning everything was hard for me, but I always try my best because I want to make feel proud to my parents. I was having problem when I was in High School because the Language. I was force to do applications for Colleges at last time because in the High School that I was they tell me everything about college late. For that reason in that moment I don’t have any idea about a student college life, because they don’t give me the oportunite and either the time to think and get the right information. Other thing that happened to me was the Cov start the same year of my 12 Grade. I don’t have a Prom and nothing. The 2020 was hard for everyone and more for me because in that year I was having the hope to get for information about College , to get a Good major something that I love. But I never have the chance.  I have hobbies, which include read novels , listen music, try new thing with makeup and go to the park. I know, it sounds boring, but I find joy in these activities. In the future if I can get the Barchelor In Marketing I would like to start working in a good company or I will like to open my own business or a Beauty Salon for Curly Hair.

Now, I currently work and go to school, I work at Forever 21 In Long Island and I want to grown more everyday. I am a honest person always saying that I thinking something that can be good and bad sometimes .

Is a pleasure for me to be part of this class.

Thank You.

Hello everyone,

My name is Britney Morgan. I am a transfer student studying Psychology and finishing up my senior semester at Baruch College. I used to be an Industrial Organizational Psychology major, but I changed it since I didn’t like the accounting class. I am looking to use my degree to become a labor union negotiator. I believe that it is important to fight for and protect workers’ rights which is not only beneficial for union workers, but non-union workers as well.

I lived in New York City all my life and live in Jamaica, Queens. The neighborhood I live in is quiet and has great access to public transportation, which is great since I have to commute to the college. My usual hobbies include watching anime and reading manga. (If anyone wants to discuss anime and manga with me I am happy to), crocheting and yoga.

Recently I’ve been into gardening and learning French. This summer I’ve grown a variety of vegetables such as butternut squash, very large zucchini, basil, lettuce, Thai peppers, collard greens, and peas. It has been rewarding cooking what I’ve grown. I also took French 2 for a summer course and although it was challenging I plan to continue learning until I am fluent. Currently, I am better at reading French than speaking it.

I am looking forward to getting to know everyone this semester.

As we settle into our rhythm for the semester, I have a few reminders:

Discussion Questions: I will post a set of questions here on the blog about each text that we read. You should be answering a minimum of one question per week. You can either answer a question directly or post a response as a comment on one of your classmates’ responses. If you scroll down, you can see that I have posted two sets of questions so far – last week’s post about “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” and this week’s post about Tartuffe.

Textbook: Unless I specify otherwise, all of our readings come from the three volume Norton Anthology of World Literature. This is a required text, and you should have the appropriate volume with you at each class session. Not having the books yet is NOT an excuse for coming to class unprepared. If you are still waiting for your books, you can borrow the text for a few hours at a time from the Reserve Desk in the Newman Library. Don’t forget that we are using the Third Edition!

Introductions: Last week you posted short introductions about yourself to the blog. This week I would like you to read your classmates’ posts and comment on a minimum of three introductions. If you haven’t yet posted an introduction, know that this assignment is now overdue, and get it done as soon as possible.

Reading: For Wednesday, Sept. 6th, please read Acts I and II of Tartuffe, a play by the French playwright Moliere. Please complete the play by Monday, Sept. 11th.

Please respond to one of the following questions about Tartuffe.  Share your response as a comment on this post, rather than creating a new post.  You should also feel free to respond to your classmates’ comments.

— Discuss the theme of appearances or masks in Tartuffe? How does the issue of appearances vs. reality connect with the central concerns of the play?

— Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama?

— How is the institution of marriage treated in Tartuffe? What are some of the models or ideals of marriage that are raised by Moliere or his characters?

— Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?

— Can you think of a contemporary example of the kind of religious hypocrisy exemplified in Tartuffe?

— Describe one aspect of the play that seems very modern to you and one that seems very dated or old-fashioned.

Hello everyone in ENG 2850, My name is XiaoLin. For those who find it difficult to pronounce my name, you can also refer to me as Charlene. My major was International Business and I transferred to psychology lately. I took a three-semester-gap and returned to Baruch in Summer 2023, therefore it’s my third year in Baruch but I am still a sophomore.

I moved to the US at the age of 12 with my mother. It’s my tenth year living in New York. During vacations, I usually travel to other countries for the first half and spend the second half to take a good rest in the city. I often carry a book, a pen, and a notebook around the city to visit new parks, museums, coffee shops, and restaurants. I enjoyed reading at different places and writing down my feelings at the time. Being alone is my important source of inspiration for life.

Also, I have hobbies other than staying with paper and books. Hanging out with friends, listening to music, playing piano and guitar, and playing games (mostly on PS5 and Switch) are my other habits. If anyone has the same habits and looking for friends, you could reach out to me.

For those who are interested, I am a Pisces, and my MBTI (personality type) is INFP.

I am looking forward to spending this beautiful semester with all of you!

Hello everyone, my name is Madison I am a transfer student from BMCC and currently majoring in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. I was born in Spain and moved here when I was 10 years old and have lived in Queens ever since. My interest in psychology started when I was in middle school, I was always intrigued by how our brain works and the different interactions a person can experience and how this can shape their lives. This led me to begin taking courses in psychology through a high school program called College Now that allowed me to gain college credits in earlier years. Although I feel deeply passionate about my major, I am still trying to figure out what path I will take on. 

When I have free time, I enjoy going to museums or just exploring the city. I have realized that living in NYC there is always something left to see and discover. Recently, I went to The Edge in 34th street and decided to do the climbing experience, which was awesome. I totally recommended it to everyone that is not scared of Hights because it allows you to see the city from a different angle and you can also get a cool picture out of it. Besides going out I also enjoy working out and weightlifting. I started to take it more seriously over the recent years and have genuinely loved it. Something else I enjoy doing when I have the chance is going to concerts, I loved sharing the euphoric feeling a concert causes with thousands of other people.  

When I am not taking classes I am usually at work. I work at a Mexican American restaurant as a server. I have been at this job for two years, and I have really gained experience of time management because of it. My restaurant is in the Red Hook area, which is an hour commute from Queens, because of this I have started to read on the train and have found it to be very pleasing and it always makes my rides feel shorter.  

This is my first-time taking English in person since I had taken my prior English course online because of the pandemic. I am excited to finally experience this class in person and I really look forward to getting to know everyone.