LC 20

Today I went to a career exploration workshop.It was a group of about twenty other students and a STARR representatitive. It was surprisingly relaxed and fun. It was a networking class so the teacher really stressed us talking to each other and try to break out of our shells. There was an entire powerpoint presentation but also activites for us to do and even worksheets.

This was interesting as a second workshop since it was so different from the first. The museum exhibit seemed a bit mundane while this class semmed a little bit out there. The most memorable was an exercise were the group was throwing thread around to show our connections. Another worthwhile event was also learning how to exchange business cards. It was a lot more formal and important than I thought it was.

The workshop ended as a lecture. The presenter showed us a powerpoint with many points like interviewing and even a professional social network called LinkedIn. I plan to also use this resource to see my connections and see if i can build more. I’ve learned the importance of social networking in the business world and I think I really enjoyed this workshop. It was a fun experience and now im looking forward to the third and last one.

Today, Omar, Gaman, Michael, Daniel, another friend of mine and I went to STARR’s workshop entitled Networking 101. When we entered the room, VC 2-190, the instructor greeted us politely. Her name was June.It was a great experience. We signed in via computer as well as a sign in sheet. We each received a hand out which we had to fill out, but it was never collected. There was about twenty students in total. We all stood up. June split us up by category (borough, favorite ice cream, major) which lead to us walking to different corners of the class; meeting different people in the process.

Afterwards, we were introduced to different ways to find a job, but more specifically the process of networking. The workshop taught us the importance of networking in the world. I learned that 48% of all jobs are given via networking. It was a very interesting workshop. I enjoyed it. There was one activity that showed how all of us in the room were connected. One person would introduce themselves. If someone had a common interest or fact, they would toss the string to that person. This process went on for about ten minutes. After it was over there was a whole web of string in the middle of the room. It was a fun way to get to know some other people.  For the rest of the workshop, we spoke about networking; social networking as well. But the main focus was networking and it’s importance, as I said before. A more sophisticated way of networking was through a website known as linkedin.com. That website is based on three degrees which depend on the networks you possess.

The space made me feel more educated and sophisticated. I felt comfortable in the room. There were some people in the room that I didn’t know, but it’s always good to get to know new people. The fact that June was a nice instructor added to the comfort. She was nice and funny so it was great. I enjoyed this career development workshop and I’m looking forward to reserving a spot in other workshops for career development because it will help me in my future, epsecially in my future business career. 

-Robi Baazashvili

So I was never a big fan of all this art stuff. Since I was a child I have never enjoyed any museum trip or anything of that sort. Like I really do not find much appealing about statues, architecture or even any pottery and whatnot. But photography is always one thing that appeals to me. I have taken photography classes in high school and on my spare time outside of school to pursue interests and photography is one of the worlds most beautiful discovery.

The Mishkin Art Gallery consisted of a collection of photos that really made me feel like wow. I do believe at that time, the theme was groups in society and groups where we belong to. In the gallery the photos depicted many different groups; from friends, fans, family and even death. As we were being toured throughout the gallery, after looking at multiple pictures, many of my emotions were triggered.

Although I still found the trip there boring like i would find any other museum or gallery boring, this one was different. Maybe it was because photography has always been an interest that i had; or perhaps maybe the different emotions that were triggered made it different.

Overall, my trip to the Mishkin Art Gallery was a success; not only to the eye but it was also in some ways appealing to my emotions.

When I was told we were going to go to an art gallery I expected to see several abstract picture that were painted based on what I had seen on T.V. about art galleries. I had been to museums before, but never to an art gallery. The fact that we went as a group though helped because we were together, and it made the experience more fun and interesting.

When I arrived the place was very quiet and empty and honestly i thought that the gallery was closed and I was about to turn around and walk away. But Dr. Sandra Kraskin introduced herself and explained to us what we would be doing today. When we got the tour of the gallery, I saw that the pictures where photographs that showed different social groups as Dr. Sandra Kraskin explained to us. I thought a a lot of the art we saw was very interesting especially the pictures that showed the African genocides (even though they were depressing). You could feel what the people in the picture felt by looking at their facial expressions.

I really liked the fact that Dr. Sandra Kraskin got us involved by asking us question instead of just talking the whole time. After showing us a few of the pictures she allowed us to view the pictures on our own which I liked since it gave me a chance to focus on the pictures that caught my eyes. Overall, I thought this was a new, good experience.

My experience at the Sidney Mishkin Art Gallery wasn’t what I expected. Thursday afternoons are known as club hours and most of us from LC 20 didn’t want to put our time to waste. We decided to head to 22nd street and check out the widely talked about art gallery.

When we arrived to the gallery, there was about ten or eleven LC 20 members; the gallery was empty. We had a short five minute introductory tour from Dr. Sandra Kraskin. She was very kind and she told us about the gallery’s theme, social groups. As said above, our first thought was Facebook; however, Dr. Kraskin was expecting for someone to say family because we are all close to our family. Most of the pictures were ordinary pictures. Each photograph represented something different. There were pictures of Swedish soccer fans, naked people playing baseball, religious people praying; it was unexpected. When I heard “art gallery” I was expecting some crazy art work that we could find in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and etc. The small space of the Mishkin art gallery was comforting. It was a nice, calm, and quiet room. Much less pictures than I thought but I enjoyed the theme of the gallery. The space made me feel secure. I can’t really say much about the space in the gallery.

As stated a few posts below, this gallery about social groups portrayed the importance of the groups. It also taught us that we should be thankful for whatever riches and technologies we can afford because there are millions of people worldwide that aren’t as fortunate as we are. Despite a small gallery and a shorter than anticipated visit, I enjoyed the Sidney Mishkin Art Gallery; I think we all did. It was a nice workshop. I’m looking forward to the other workshops as well! 

-Robi Baazashvili

Hello my name is Omar Abdel Salam.

So far, I think Baruch is just fine. I am already starting to get used to Baruch and the commute as well as my professors and classes. School is an important part of my life and I need to dedicate a lot of my time to it so I can get good grades. I already made some new friends at Baruch and met some of my old friends from Forest Hills High School here. After these past weeks I learned that college requires a lot of hard work and time. It is a lot more challenging than high school. I expected this, but after a laid back senior year getting back to doing so much work is very hard. I have a lot of good professors and I hope I get good grades in all my classes.

My biggest challenge so far is my philosophy class. It is a difficult course and it is very hard to pay attention in class. Our grade in that class is based on readings and homework writing assignments. The main problem is that, I don’t understand the readings most of the time. All I do in order to write the homework assignments is basically take everything the professor said in the lecture put it into my own words without understanding anything I am writing. The main thing I enjoy about college is the freedom I have, something we didn’t really have in high school.

What am I afraid of? I am afraid of being unsuccessful. I am afraid of being unhappy. I am afraid of failing. I am also afraid of getting lost. I am afraid of closed trash cans. My fear of getting lost is due to tramatic experiences I had as a child. My fear of getting lost comes from actually getting lost once when I was around five years old in a fair in Egypt. My fear of closed trash cans comes from me taking the lid off the trash can once to throw out the garbage and a cat jumped out of the trash can and jumped off my shoulder and in the process scratched my shoulder. Now I don’t throw out garbage that’s the only chore I refuse to do unless I absolutely have to do it.

There are many things that make me happy. My family and friends make me happy. Achieving something I thought I couldn’t make me happy. Going out with friends makes me happy. Sometimes change makes me happy.

There are also many things that are important to me. My family and friends are important to me. Doing well in school is important to me. The way people treat me is important to me.

I like and dislike certain things. I like being happy. I like having fun. I like playing video games and sports. I like hanging out with my friends. I like spending time with my family. I like driving around in the car with my friends. I like listening to my IPod. I like watching T.V. I dislike having to do something I don’t want to do or going out with someone I don’t want to go out with. I dislike being bored. I dislike being alone. I dislike being embarrassed. I dislike people who are judgmental. I identify myself by the way I think, the way I treat people as well as my values and morals.

I have two personal mottos. These mottos are “No matter how many times you fall get up and try again” and “It is not about how many mistakes you make, but what you learn from them.” I apply these mottos to my life a lot. I try not to give up no matter how many times I fail at an attempt to do something. I also try to learn from all the mistakes I make and try not to repeat them more than once.

College, well college is going well. It’s a fun environment and the location of Baruch is outstanding. I love the neighborhood; it’s close to the heart of New York. My biggest challenge is organizing the due dates for my homework. Don’t get me wrong, I try to do my homework as early as I can so I can enjoy my life. All teenagers should enjoy their lives. Sometimes I feel like I forget to do an assignment for one class and I feel nervous and hope that I completed it. Thankfully, I have handed in all of my assignments thus far. I really enjoy Baruch. It’s a very diverse college and I have the ability to meet people of all different races. Aside from the diversity, I never get bored in between classes. There are so many activities, clubs, organizations and workshops that Baruch offers; it’s impossible not to do anything. That is something high school didn’t have much of. I’m enjoying it here. The main reason that I’m even in college right now is because of my parents; but more specifically, my mother. If it wasn’t for her, I would have been a drop out. I don’t even know what I would be doing now. She has been helping me with my studies ever since I learned the ABCs and 123s. She has devoted herself to my sister and I. She is important to me and I owe her my whole life; not even. I owe my mom my life and more. I remember when I was little, she always urged me to do my best and she made me sit down and write the alphabet for hours so I can have the neatest hand-writing in my class. Oh man, I realize how much she has helped me and she makes so many sacrifices. I’m not a mama’s boy, but I do love my mom a lot. Yeah, I do! A quality that is vital for everyone to possess is happiness. I think that happiness is the key to success. If you are happy, then everything that revolves around you makes you happy, as well and life seems so much better. I dislike serious people that don’t have a hint of humor in their bodies; it’s disgusting. Sports makes me happy; playing them and watching them on television. The sports that I follow and play are volleyball, swimming, football, basketball, and baseball. Oh! I recently learned how to ride a bike. I think that counts as a sport. Biking is a really good way to relieve stress and it is one of the best workouts. My family and friends also make me happy; their happiness and health are important to me. There are some people in this world who fear many things. Fear should be something to avoid. It’s not worth it to fear something. If a person is stuck in a fearful mind-set, they will get nowhere in life. Fear holds people back from accomplishing their goals. The best thing is to be happy, like I said before. No need to fear anything.

Thursday! This means that there will be in the high traffic club hours. Instead of roaming around and blending into the crowd, we (LC 20) decided to go to the Sidney Mishkin Gallery. The gallery mimicked the museum experience. We had a little tour from Dr. Sandra Kraskin. She was extremely helpful. To be honest, if I had walked into this gallery by myself, I would have been uninterested in the pictures. Most of the photographs in this gallery are everyday photographs that we see in the news and news articles. Dr. Kraskin brought up the common theme of social groups among these pictures. Growing up and being exposed to technology and the internet, our first thought of social groups was Facebook.

This gallery taught me to look and think outside of the box. Social groups are found all around the world in every ethnicity and every culture. Some are proud groups such as a group of fans rooting for the same soccer team. At the same time, there are groups that people are forced and threatened to be a part of; for example, a band African guerilla soldiers filled with little kids whom are no older than ten years of age. This gallery made me realized how important social groups are and how fortune we are in the United States. The basic rights and freedom that we take advantage of (and sometime abused) are the very same rights that other nations are dying to obtain. Although this gallery was short and simple, the message behind it was definitely an eye opener.

My name is Michael, people call me Mike. I’d like to start off talking about how I feel about college and people. The college experience is nice, very free and relaxed. I like however thing kind of goes at your own pace so there’s not much pressure except the testing part which seems like its extra pressure in college. There’s a lot to do here so many events, and activities that I didn’t even see half of.  The people are great though it’s obvious since we are in LC 20, but overall the staff and other students seem cool. A bit about myself that I would like to share is my fears and some likes. I really fear and have an extreme dislike of clowns. There are quite a few reasons that I like to point out for other people. Point 1 is the fact that no one on earth needs that much make up. It’s scary and the only purpose it can possibly serve is to avoid people from recognizing them. If a clown killed someone, you have no way of describing them without sounding ridiculous, yeah it was the guy with a white face, blue circle around his eyes, he had rainbow hair, and a red puffy nose. It’s just wrong. Reason 2 is that no one laughs that much without being a little crazy. Clowns always have the scariest laughs. On to my likes which is anything with a little action. If there’s some kind of rush in it like winning or fighting I find it fascinating.  It’s the reason why I like playing cards. I also like anything challenging that gives a sense of accomplishment like puzzles. A personal weakness of mine is my procrastination. I do things last seconds, but I get them done. It’s something I’m working on with very little luck. I guess lastly I’ll tell you all, my personal model. It’s a Chinese proverb when roughly translated is “When the ship nears the bridge, it’ll automatically go straight.” It means that things will happen if it has to happen. So I kind of kick back relax and just let things run its course. It doesn’t mean I’m completely unmotivated or just let life past me, but I enjoy life as it goes and just follow along on the ride. Some things can’t be changed, but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them.

My thoughts started on rainy Sunday afternoon. We headed to Costco just for fun with a couple of my friends. There were no parking spots left. I got lost into my thoughts as I was waiting impatiently for a parking spot.
Whose idea was it to come to Costco on a Sunday afternoon? Out of all days, why Sunday, the family day for all?  This is a complete waste of my Sunday! I have school and work tomorrow. I could be using this time to catch up on some sleep. School… School is actually fun. Besides all the morality and rationality that I am trying to understand in philosophy, I enjoy it. The time is so flexible, I can even go to the gym for a quick workout, but at times, I have so much time on my hands… too much time. I really need to join something here at Baruch. How about a fraternity? The hoodies looks nice. But… it is so time consuming. I am afraid that I won’t be able to manage everything. Afraid… what am I afraid of?
I am definitely afraid of people with road rage. The way people abuse the horn or speeding pass everyone else is such a stupid thing to do. What else am I afraid of? Oh yeah, I’m afraid when my grandma calls. See, the thing with my grandma is that she just got her first cell phone this year. Yes, welcome to the 21^st century! At this moment, she is probably still trying to figure out all the functions of the cell phone. Although she doesn’t know all the function, she does have me on speed dial #2. When she holds that #2 key, there must be something wrong. Exams. This is probably the most difficult part of college and the part that I am afraid of. What if I mess up on the exam yet I understood all the material? Please… please don’t fail any exams.
This rain is not making me feel any better, but I think the sun is trying to come out. I need more sunshine. If I am not trapped at school, I am trapped at work. I need something to make me happy. What makes me happy? Friends and family! I think the greatest feeling on earth is whenever I spend some time with them and we share some memories. The second best feeling is… I may sound like a nerd for saying this, but it is volunteer work. The way that people say “Thank you so much” gives… I don’t know. It makes me feel good.
I don’t know. Something still feels weird. It is like I am missing something. What can this be? I am in college with a part time job. What else do I need? What am I missing in my life?