Baruch Debates Diversity
Community / Global Awareness enrichment area
September 14; 1 PM – 750 Newman Conference Center, Library Building
The objective of this workshop was to discuss about how Baruch College champions itself as one of the most diversed institutions in the United States, pros and cons of multi-cultural learning community, and cause and effect of its mass diversity.
Since my English professor, Prof. Saint, brought our class to this workshop, I went there not out of my voluntary ambition, nevertheless, I was extremely intrigued to hear what the panels had to say. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone since it was a topic I have never thought about until I got to Baruch.
It did not satisfy my expectation. Before attending this workshop, Professor Saint reminded me that this session is going to be about “Baruch is one of the most diversed U.S. institutions, and SO WHAT?” I was expecting more of currently progressing pros and cons of our diversity as a whole or about what is truly at the heart of diversed community rather than history of becoming diversed and irrelevant personal stories. On a sad note, the main guest speaker, Professor Vaughn did a mediocre job discussing about its significance of being a diversed institution. It felt long and the points he was delving into were out of our hands. I know it was one of our freshman seminar requirements, but this workshop might came across as inapprehensible to other fellow freshmen. Therefore, I do not recommend this workshop.
As they were talking about history of urbanization and civilization, I learned that New York City is a paragon of a place where different civilizations clash, and inevitably through the process of struggle and reconciliation, it all integrates into one civilization with numerous sub-cultures. I realized this point that I learned is so true. Though I am a Korean, I have lunch with chinese friends and takes afternoon classes with bangladesh friends. I share different cultures with my peers and thus, slowly developed cultural relativism.