Monthly Archives: November 2010

Basketball, football, baseball, breaking, and just chilling.  These are the things I like to do.  I enjoy playing sports and the competitiveness of it.  Basketball is a high paced sport that acquires skill in shooting, dribbling, passing, and communication.  The team must know each other very well and communicate with each other in a common language, which is usually body language on the court.  When I play basketball, almost everyone underestimates me.  I’m usually the last pick for a game when I play with strangers.  However, when I get the ball, my favorite move is to drive in for an easy lay-up.  I start close to the elbow, a place on the court right outside the “paint”, and jab to the right n drive to the left.  Many people I have played with for the first time would be caught off guard and would think to themselves, what just happened?  After they know I can drive to the basket, my defenders start to play some defense.  Then things get fun.  Because I have a variety of moves I can use, they get surprised every time.  It’s fun watching people look at me and say things like, “how the hell?”  Throughout the game other players start to pass me the ball more often I end up winning not only the game but respect.   Basketball is not only fun n a good workout but it helps me release all the stress I have.  It’s a physical sport.  I use every advantage I can think of against my opponents.  Since I’m a kind of a big guy, I use my body.  I like to play the post.  There I can bump off anyone who defends me without starting a fight since its part of the game.  That helps relieve much stress.  The other sports like football and baseball also relive stress and I enjoy them as well.  I haven’t been breaking for a long time.  I am just a beginner but I know my material, especially because one of my closest friends’ a Bboy who is pretty good I must say.  I usually chill with him and he tells me about breaking.  The art of breaking is very fun and exciting to watch.  It’s crazy how these bboys can move their bodies in such a way which seems impossible.  That interested me into breaking and now I go to Hunter almost every day after school and practice there with other bboys like my friend.  Breaking is so much fun at Hunter because we all are just fooling around while learning and practicing.  That aspect makes you want to look forward breaking.  Also, it releases the tensions some breakers might have when trying to attempt a move which they are close to but can’t manage to nail the final step.  Breaking does become frustrating but you should always have fun to release the stress.  Inevitably, that will help you perfect the move.  Besides focusing on school and the workload I like to participate in these activities.  It balances out school and play. 

During my senior year of high school, I was part of an ROTC program. We were known as the Francis Lewis Patriots. Each year, the seniors are given a specific title (that we earned) through hard work, motivation and leadership. Ranging from the class leaders, also known as the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant, to the battalion commander who was like the president of the entire ROTC program. I, myself fell under the category of a captain of a staff. This title may not seem like much and the idea that it was just in high school may bring up a few laughs but the time spent on earning the role of captain was well worth it along with the little perks. It was a time I felt empowered as I walked through the halls.

When it came to the ranking in power, it was the one battalion commander that led all of us; second was the major in charge of staffs and then came the thirteen different captains which I happened to be part of. AS one of the members of the command and staff class, we were given the power to inspect the other 600 cadets in the battalion. Walking down the halls with this power was the best because everyone would try to get in a few good words to ease the tension between cadet and inspector before we got up in their faces with knowledge questions. Everyone pretty much sucked up to us. And I forgot to mention that they had to call me “sir” whenever they addressed me. I was given such an immense power as a captain. All 13 of us felt like royalty when we finally got to work as delegates rather than the participants. However, with great power came a lot of responsibilities. For example, we also partake in making their grades, tests, physical activities and the planning of all events for the battalion. Working for the three years aiming for a spot on the elite 13 (as we all called it) was the only thing worth waking up every Wednesday wearing our uniform all day through the rain or shine. Being known as Cadet Captain Kim was one moment in my life when I felt empowered.

At the end of my junior year I started working at Burger King. The first day was tiring because I never experienced work. Standing for eight hours seemed like an eternity because all I thought of was getting out. Many people look down upon Burger King and McDonalds, but I am proud to say I worked at Burger King. I started off as a cashier and later moved to drive-thru. The manager at all times wanted everyone to be in a positive attitude. Tough costumers pushed those limits as anger was brought upon by accidentally putting pickles on a double cheeseburger. In situations like these nothing can be done but agree with the customer. My curiosity landed me a spot on Whopper Board(which is where whoppers are made). I came to realize that time passed very quickly but the manager didn’t want me making burgers because everyone hated drive thru and so I had to do it. I didn’t complain because although it was annoying having a constant ringing in your ear every 30 seconds, it was my job to do what they asked. I came to realize that a job at Burger King was not a stable one; minimum wage is something many people don’t want to live with. It was hard for me to leave such a place because I had become part of a family but school was more important. Not making money now sucks but hopefully this sacrifice pays off in the end.

CTRL-:D

This workshop was very helpful. At first, of course, I wasn’t interested in sitting in on it but as time passed I realized that they provided very helpful information. They talked about interviews and what to have and not have on a resume when applying to a job. I feel that many college students today need to know about this information for internships and regular jobs, now and for when we graduate.  I learned that SCDC provides mock interviews, where they will help you with what to say and also what to wear and how to present yourself to an employer. I definitely plan on using these services.

Going into this panel discussion I knew it was going to be boring. Who wants to attend a mandatory assembly about stuff that we are not interested in? The only member of the panel that was interesting was Charles Li, the author of The Bitter Sea. It was nice to see him in person, especially because I enjoyed reading his book over the summer for school. The workshop was exactly what I expected, every student either talking to their neighbor, sleeping or on their phone. I felt bad for the other members of the panel, being that everyone was on their phones while they were talking. It was hard to hear and understand them, which made it even harder to concentrate. Having them push the students to ask questions was awkward in a way, I felt people asked questions because they had, not because it was something that they really wanted to know.

The question I have been getting a lot lately is “how is school going?” or “do you like school so far?” My answer is the same to everybody. “It’s okay,” I would say, “Nothing too special.” When I say this, everyone starts to feel bad and wonder why college is just okay. When they ask me this, I have to ask myself first before I can answer.
I grew up in the city and went to school in the city all my life. When choosing a college I knew for sure I didn’t want to go away. Not being in the city and not being able to walk out my door and be a block away from Broadway and stores seemed so strange. I never have gotten home sick before, so that wasn’t a fear of mine. I just knew I was a city girl, so staying in the city felt right. I’ve been told that all college kids do when they go away to school is party and I’m not a party freak. I’ll have a good time once and awhile, but they way some kids go out at night and have fun, just isn’t me. Knowing this, I just felt that staying in the city where I grew up would be safe.
Since school has started, I wonder if I made the right decision. I feel like I am back at high school again, walking into and out of a building in a neighborhood that I am so familiar with. Maybe I need a change. Even though I live in the city, I am dorming about 10 minutes away from my apartment where I grew up. I felt dorming would have me experience somewhat of the college experience minus actually putting all my stuff in boxes, and driving about 2 to 3 hours away to campus. Maybe I need more time to actually have it sink in and realize that I am at college, but as of right now, I feel no difference.

city kid - posing on the streets of new york

Hello all. As most of you may know my name is Dahye Diana Ku. I am currently 17 and I reside in Bayside, Queens. From the moment we were told to write a monologue, I was nervous and I didn’t know what to think. I know this is supposed to be a way of you guys getting to know me, but I generally don’t just open up to people that well. All my close friends would tell you, I’m the one that keeps everything inside. So yeah, I’ve been stressing about this monolgue and I’ve been going around asking everyone how their monologue is going. But really, I was just freaking out and hoping someone would help. Then someone gave me the most simplistic, yet helpful advice. “Just answer the questions that were asked in class” and then I realized I’ve been worrying myself this whole time for nothing. That’s another thing about me. I worry and work myself up about every little thing…
Well the two questions I wanted to answer about myself are: What I like best and what I like least. For each I will answer with a place, a food, a type of person, and an animal. My favorite place is the beach. But more than going to the beach in the summertime, I like going there when it’s really cool outside. The best feeling is walking on the sand in a pair of UGGs. That’s why I promised myself to one day live two blocks away from a beach (like Kim). My favorite food at the moment is Spanish food, but I generally love to try new foods so I’ll probably change my mind tomorrow. I like to be around people that are just down to earth and fun to talk to. For me it’s really important to feel comfortable enough to be myself around a person. My favorite animal is the beagle. I want one so badly, but my mom won’t let me get one because I’ve convinced her to get me hamsters, fish, and a cat. And after the first month, I stopped taking care of it. So now, even if I promise to take good care of it she won’t believe me.
Now for my least favorites. My least favorite place would be any confined dark space. This is because when I was about 5 I was playing a game of hide and go seek. So I ran into this small closet and hid in there. I sat there all excited at how great my hiding spot was, and then I realized it was too good because nobody ended up being able to find me. I started feeling nervous and scared. After what felt like an eternity, my mom finally found me. She claims my eyes were filled with tears, but I don’t remember that part of the story. My least favorite food is papaya. I think it smells so disgusting. But I love ALL other veggies and fruits. I despise arrogant, self-centered people. Like those cocky individuals that flaunt their “incredible” possessions, as if those things define them. And lastly I hate mice & birds.
So that’s a little bit about me. Thanks for listening.

What a great man, just kidding. Sitting down in the Mason Hall I couldn’t wait to leave. Nothing personal to Charles Li, or any school faculty, or anyone really, it is because I hate staying later than I should (lol). Other then that, I learned that what you do and where you take yourself make you who you are. Identity was discussed by Charles Li, and it made me realize even more how unique everyone is, and how much opportunity everyone in this world has. A man going from a whole different world, to standing in front of me giving a speech shows me that there are endless possibilities. What I do in the future and where I go will make me the person I am. Hopefully, I wont change much and still be around the family I love and the friends that are always there.

Entering the workshop I was ready to fall asleep. When I actually sat down I realized that this might be useful information, and I was right. The workshop gave me tips on many useful things I would need to know as I get older and start looking for jobs. Writing the right resume, and being able to give the right first impression at an interview are two things I needed to learn how to do, and this workshop definitely thought me how to do that. I also learned about other useful centers in Baruch College that I can go for tutoring but I already knew this. Now that I have more of a sense of what I need to do to actually get the right job, I will have to work on my resume and see where it takes me.