Monthly Archives: September 2010

Diversity ranges form many different assortments of people. There are people of several different racial, religious, age, cultural, sexual orientation, and gender. The list is infinite to the categories of diversity. All this diversity or labels per say are massively compiled through New York City, it being one of the most diverse cities in America. Multi-culturalism is enabled throughout public schools and private schools, along with workplaces and other areas of commerce and so on. Diversity can benefit the wholesomeness of society, although sometimes it goes in disadvantage to more under the table issues between the separate groups.

Some schools for instance contain diversity for all the wrong reasons, for example, they will accept minority students with lower qualifications on an academic level than a caucasian student with equal or higher qualifications because the more minority student the college enrolls the more their funds will escalate. Most people enjoy the benefits of diversity, with the experience of new people, new cultures, and new ideas set into places that hadn’t been there originally. Tons of people begin to falter when they talk about diversity because people do have opinions of their own that they can rectify on their own terms.

Although, those opinions are clearly personal and their own and not expressing the views of society. In the workplace, many companies are sued for the ignorance in their hiring process of not taking minority applicants. However, some will only take minority applicants to avoid the compilations of lawsuits that would come their way so they work on becoming globally diverse in their company. Clearly, some circumstances like previously mentioned about the college acceptance, many think it unfair and to be honest it is because it lowers chances of other deserving students. Having a plethora of diversity in areas increases the cultural acceptance and diverse acceptance in the area.

When brought up in a surplus of diversity one can openly speak about the advantage and disadvantage that they have overcome and had, along with an understanding of what each diverse group goes through and be more accustom and unreserved about their opinion towards the topic and reality of the situation. Then there are those who were not able to manifest their feelings about how diversity affects them and what it means to them because they are masked with the idea that each group of diverse communities must stay put and not be modified to a newer more diverse community of people. Growing up in a myriad of diversity helps me understand the struggles of any diverse group in countless ways. In retrospect, diversity can either aid a situation in many ways because people are more accepting or pollute minds into thinking that certain diversities should not be linked with each other.

  Every person or group has unique characteristics, abilities, beliefs, traditions, and features that can be different from others around them. This is not a weakness of society, but a gift, called diversity. Diversity brings beauty to the world. To me, it means that all types of races, ages, religions, and cultures are living in harmony and peace, free of any prejudices. 

  Diversity points to different types of experiences, backgrounds, and values within the world. It is important that it exists and differences among race, gender, sexual orientation, physical capabilities, and backgrounds are accepted. If everyone had one way mindset or one way of living, there would probably be less social excitement and curiosity. For example, if there was only one language in the world, it would be kind of dull and uninteresting.

  Diversity is everywhere in the world. There are different types of music, different styles of clothing, different cultural foods, different Gods worshipped; the list is endless. Because of this, we all have the opportunity to learn about other styles, customs, and traditions. I think that certain aspects of life, like music and arts would be extremely narrowed down if there were no diversity. There would be no music to choose from if only rap or only rock existed. Artists would not be inspired by each other if there was only one cultural style of painting or sculpting.

   The word “diversity” should not be used only in the context of groups of people, but individuals as well. Each and every one of us is distinctive in some sort of way. One person may be naturally accustomed to playing sports, while another may be massively talented in music, and someone else could be gifted in mathematics. Whatever it is, we all possess something that makes us unique. For example, people like Michael Jordan, Mozart, and Albert Einstein all had very diverse talents that changed the world accordingly.

   It would be great if we could all benefit from diversity, however some people see diversity as a means of attacking one’s race, gender, or beliefs. They do not realize that they too are different from other people in the world. Sadly, things like hate crimes, racial discrimination, bullying, and economic discrimination are still prevalent in society today. Older people are often perceived as immobile, no longer contributing to society, and are seen with a “old dog that can’t learn new tricks” mentality. Unfortunately, I think it is highly unlikely that society will ever transcend these hardships because it requires everybody’s cooperation. There will always be that one person or group who will have a negative attitude toward someone because he or she is different in some way.

   On the other hand, however, the fact that some people are able to connect so well despite their differences show how extraordinary diversity can be. I believe that we learn from each other’s experiences and grow altogether Language, music, clothing, and foods are just very few of the many things that coincide with diversity. With great diversity come great variety, knowledge, inspiration, and beauty.

1.Tell us who you think you are?

My name is Daniel Aharoni i am 18 years old. Born and raised in Queens, New York . Favorite things to do are pretty typical 18 year old kid stuff as in hang out with friends, play sports etc.. most of my friends know me as very outgoing,easy to talk to and very easy to get along with but also have a shy side to me. The experience of being a freshman in college has mixed emotions in me, I’d like to say i know the feeling because i was a freshman in high school 4 years ago, but while there are similarities it is very different and it makes me anxious as well as well as excited.

2.3 concerns

My first concern is that there is a lot more work given at Baruch than in my high school. this is hard because there is more work to keep up with which leads to more information needed to retain which also has to do with the amount of things we need to know for tests. Commuting is also one of the concerns for me. the past 4 years of my schooling have been at Forest Hills High School which is in my neighborhood and a 10 minute walk from my house. At Baruch i have to take the subway to and from school every day for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each way depending on traffic. this makes me have less sleep in the morning and arrive to classes very tired sometimes. My 3rd concern is the fact theta almost all of the homework at Baruch is online, some people find this much easier and i guess it depends on the person, but I am not one of these people and hope to be able to keep up with work.

3.what makes Baruch different from high school is the fat that there are so many more people. I thought my high school had a lot of kids with 4 thousand but that hails in comparison to this school. As previously stated, transportation and the distance of the school from my house are also new to me. class sizes also vary tremendously with them ranging from 0 kids (the average of my high school) to over 100 people in some classes.

4. Baruch in my first year will change me in many ways. i think the added workload and independence will make me more responsible as i get older. I will also be spending a lot more time in the city than i had before so this will make me more accustomed to the area as well as other parts. The most important thing i hope college gives me is guidance, I know it is my decision what i want to do in my life but i hope that classes at this school will at least put me on path to becoming successful at something i enjoy.

I believe that I am an old soul. Ever since someone told me that my friends and I that we belong in a different time period, I believed it. It makes sense because I’m not a person who really likes the way our society has become. It’s a very hard and long opinion to explain but yeah. I think about weird things, I ask weird questions, and I do the un-do able. I like how I am, although there are faults. I am why why I am.

My top three concerns about my freshman year at Baruch College is getting use to the self-work thing. It’s hard for me to keep track of my own work, I was always use to being told a due date a week or day before, now I have to use something called Blackboard. I’m not good at being focused outside of school so I’m also afraid of falling behind. The last thing I am afraid of is the fact that I’ll go through college not doing that “something” that makes my college experience a, college experience.

It already is different from my high school experience because college is like the adult version of it. No one will tell you what to do or what you shouldn’t do it’s all up to you to work out the kinks and to figure out what happens next.

It will help me learn to be more devoted to school work because if I really don’t catch up soon enough, I’ll fall behind so far that it’ll be too late and that’s just bad. First year of college, honestly, maybe it won’t change me much, personality wise.

Well, similar to all others in the class I am a human being. My name is Adam R. and I am a person who hates things like those blogs and the seminars from the very bottom of my heart. I’m not going to lie, I am not very happy about having to wake up 2 hours earlier to get to a credit-less class, as well having my school day stretch from 9:05 to 5:25. I don’t like the idea of the whole seminar which just takes me back to middle school.

My topmost and currently the only concern is the blackboard, simply I never remember to check it. and some teachers just talk and talk and then under the cover of the night put assignments up, anyone know how to get the thing to send me remainders about new assignments and if possible how to redirect mail from my baruch to my yahoo email?

The experience is much different than high school. It’s much more liberal, you can take a walk in your free time if you feel like it and you are not constrained within the walls of the school.

How is the college going to change me? I don’t know… So far I’ve been here for a month and still am the same person I was before it, only time will tell.

My name is Julia Leung, I just recently turned eighteen on September 13, and I live in Queens, New York. These are just substantial facts that do not define me as a person. I am an entity of confusion, doubts, hopes, and dreams. I thought I knew who I was back four years ago, as I began my freshman year in high school. But since then, I had realized that I was not exactly who I thought I was. With the loss of my track team captainship, my position on my high school yearbook committee, my boyfriend, and close friends upon graduation, I find myself asking: who am I? A question that I hope to find answers to in four years’ time, when I graduate from college.

As I enter my freshman year at Baruch College, I find myself worrying about the top three things that plague almost every other freshman students’ mind: grade point average, finding a place for myself in a commuter school, and my future. It is a fresh, clean slate for all of us – a new chance to make amends to past grades and mistakes. It is something so pristine that I hope that I would not ruin, as many would wish not to. Finding my own place in this vast commuter school is another worry on my list. I am a sociable person, but I feel that many of the friends that I make here will be nothing more than passerbys that I wave hello and goodbye to in the hallways. I long for a more deeper and committed level of friendship to keep past the length of college. My future is another thought that often consumes my mind. I’m worried that, perhaps, business is not the right career track for me. I find myself conflicted between listening to my parents and following their foolproof plan to a financially secure life and between following my own passions in a area of study completely opposite of business.

Baruch seems to be not much different than my high school in the regards that I am still commuting and in a large student body, but the atmosphere seems to be a welcomed change. The students seem to be more open and friendly and the air is always tinged with an electricity of busyness. There are also options that were inconceivable in my high school – such as the opportunity to study abroad, something that has been on my mind constantly and, hopefully, something that I can endeavor in my sophomore year. This first year of college is one of excitement and a beginning of a journey that won’t be completed for a while. The change that I anticipate for myself would be mostly introspective – maturing mentally and emotionally. This first year will allow me to embark on a personal revelation of what I want for my future, how to accomplish these goals, and, also, to find out, for myself, what sort of person I hope to become to be.

Who am I? My name is Nicholas Anthony Taylor, most people call me Nick. I am 18 years old and my birthday is July 23rd. At first i can be a very quiet person but once you get to know me I am a fun person. I would say I’m a nice person, fun to be around, and athletic. Sometimes i can get very lazy though and that is one of my main problems. I am from West Islip in Long Island, I grew up here and lived here my entire life. In my opinion it is one of the best places to grow up. I live 5 minutes away from the beach, which is one of my favorite places to go. Aside from the beach i enjoy hanging out with all my friends, playing sports, and going to parties. In high school I was on the wrestling team, the soccer team, and the baseball team. Playing sports is a very big part of my life and really made high school fun for me. There is much more about me, but this is mostly who I am.

I have a couple of concerns about Baruch. My first concern is maintaining a good GPA and getting all of my work done. This can be difficult for me because i commute from Long island. It takes about 2 hours to get to school and another 2 hours to get home every day. This makes things difficult because it makes me tired in class so i can not pay attention very well. Also, after about 4 hours of commuting, i get home and the last thing i want to do is more school work. Another concern I have is having an online account for every class. It gets annoying having to check every account to see if i have any work to do. It is alot different from just getting a worksheet in highschool.

Baruch is completely different from my high school. First, my high school in Long Island was 98 percent white people. It is one of the least diverse schools. Then i came to Baruch which is one of the most diverse schools, making it much different from high school. In my high school every one knows everyone and in each class pretty much everyone would be friends. In baruch no one really knows eachother. The school work is also much different. In high school it is easy to get away with getting good grades and not doing a lot of work. In college this isn’t going to happen.

For starters, obviously I’m a human being. A tall, dark, and Asian one as a matter of fact. Seriously though, I am a person who can get along with just about anyone and love making new friends. Although I can be quiet at times, once that barrier has been broken then people see how funny and interesting I can be. I come from a family that highly believes in hard work and dedication. I try to follow their ideas but like every other young person out there, procrastination gets the best of you. Oh! I’m a great cook as well so if you ever need a chef, I can hopefully fulfill your pallet.

One of my many concerns at Baruch like everyone else is maintaining a respectable GPA. Balancing work with the rigorous workload I’ll face is going to be a challenge regardless of my multitasking skills. Another concern I have is that making friends in Baruch is really tough. Most of the people here commute so I don’t really get the chance to see anyone after classes are over. Sure I could always join the clubs and sports teams here but they don’t really fit into my work schedule. Also the students here from what I have seen are split up into people that hang out with others from their country, fraternities, and people that just want to be left alone. It’s rare to see anything different from that. My final concern would be the escalators and elevators. What is the point of having escalators that don’t work? It’s as useless as having a horse-drawn carriage without the horse. The elevators also aggravate me. There are five elevators yet they barely come. I have a better time walking up to my class on the 7th floor than wait for the sluggish mobile room.

What I think is going to be different from  high school life to college life is the people I’ll be meeting. Back in my high school sure we had diversity, but Baruch takes it to a whole new level. In almost all of my classes I have a foreign student from countries I probably would have never thought of. The transition from suburban to urban life is also a big step for me as I normally don’t travel or live in the city. Being at Baruch will probably give me more time to explore different parts of the city. The workload here is going to hit me hard also. I’m unfamiliar with the way my professors handle tests and quizzes. Ah yes, there is also the note taking. A lot of note taking. One of my professors speak as soft as the wind and it’s ridiculously hard to hear them. When I ask them to repeat, they just shout at the top of their lungs what they said in front of the entire class. However, I love how much more freedom I have here at Baruch. I can finally go out to different places and eat. Oh how I love to eat.

My name is Yang, Yangde, but I am also known as Max. I am still uncertain of my calling in life, and hope to get a better idea by the end of my college experience as well as encounter people to form meaningful relationships with and learn from.

I am worried that perhaps I am lacking in social skills that would allow me to communicate effectively with my peers. I am also concerned about the crowding on the campus. I fear that I may not able to access all of the facilities and resources offered when I need them. The future workload in my courses is also unclear, but I hope I can manage my time well and develop enough skills in the subjects to tackle the work.

Baruch College is slightly more disorganized than my high school, but it seems to allow more freedom in electronic device usage, including that of personal computers, phones, and media players. Entrance to the building also seem more lenient, as people can pay a visit without much difficulty.

With the passage of a school year, I shall become reasonably more knowledgeable in general academic fields, make some new friends, and discover new interests. I vow to improve my character and attempt to experiment with what Baruch has in store.