10 October 2010
Dear Diary,
I haven’t smiled in what seemed like a lifetime until today. Instead of going to Comic Con, I decided to hang out with my two friends—Audrey and William. Although I make it sound like they are my only friends, honestly, if it comes down to that, I would be perfectly fine. In any situation, and particularly when you choose whom you associate with, quality is better than quantity.
I entered Baruch knowing that I would see familiar faces from my high school; everyone would say, “so you’re going to Baruch-lyn Tech College?” At first I had an apathetic mindset. Yes, I would see the same people, but I was more interested in diversifying my network. Although college has given me new freedoms and has exposed me to a greater populace, I feel as though new and unnecessary walls have been put in place—particularly regarding the cluster system.
I don’t hate the people, but at times I feel so out of place. The reason why I would be fine with having the two said friends is because they’re like-minded. I came from a school where my learning experience was very engaging. In other words, there was never silence, unless, we had to listen to a lecture. Friendly debates and discussions were normal and accepted. The role of devil’s advocate was often in the hands of the students and not the instructor’s. As of now, I feel that I’m the elitist girl who likes the sound of her voice since she’s always raising her hand in class and handing in perfect homework; just the other day I found myself in calculus being referred to as “The Authority.” But, to be honest, I don’t care.
After attending the Ascend Kick-Off event and listening to the words of the guest speaker, I felt more reassured about my goals and myself. Kevin Kim spoke about what it takes to be a leader and he chronicled his struggle to emerge as victor in a political campaign while being the only minority candidate in a district that is predominantly white. I parallel my experience to this in that I am not in college to make friends with everyone, but, I must maintain a diplomatic stance.
Sincerely,
Rochelle
