Author Archives: Jasmine Smarr

Coming to Baruch was one of the best decisions I’ve made in terms of my education. I enjoy the atmosphere and the people here for the most part are great! I enjoy the professors and their sense of humor (except one, that shall remain nameless hehe.) Being in an LC was also a great experience because I quickly made a FUN/CRAZY group of friends and had the BEST peer mentor EVER!

Because I was used to the large amounts of work in high school the assignments weren’t to difficult, but studying for history was a disaster. I struggled in the beginning with history because I wasn’t sure of what he wanted, but as the semester progressed I became more knowledgeable of his expectations.

I know you guys probably get tired of hearing me talk about my teammates, but their like my family away from home ! Despite coming here with a knee brace and having to take the subway in the heat, I am truly thankful for my education and the people that have come along with it!

I’m looking forward to second semester and can’t wait until WINTER BREAK !!!!!

Why I am posting this blog so late? Well, besides the fact that I am required to hehe…it’s Thanksgiving and this would be the perfect opportunity to tell you all what I’m thankful for. Aside from my faith, family, true friends, and education, I am thankful for my teammates on the Baruch Women’s Basketball Team. I was asked by Jordan to explain what this experience has meant to me, and so I will elaborate on this.

Being on the team has allowed me to be a freshman all over again, while sharing my level of maturity with my teammates. Our coach ask that we not have “clicks” on the team so that way the chemistry is balanced. I thought this was a great idea because I wanted to get to know everyone and clicks are childish. Besides this, I have formed friendships that I know will last a lifetime, specifically with my roommate Iyana and my teammates Alicea and Toni. Although I’ve only known them for 3 months our bond is UNBREAKABLE ! We party together, we live together, we take random trips around the city together, and sometimes all four of us pile in the same room to watch movies. It’s like we have our own little family.Sunday nights we watch T.V. together and sometimes on Monday depending on the work load.

Because we can sometimes get home sick, we feel that it’s important to have a bond with one another. If I didn’t have my teammates and coaching staff I honestly think that the college transition would of been a challenge. Although I cannot play this year (which is killing me) I can still say that I love Baruch not just for my education, but for the love my teammates have shown me and how the coaches care about each and every one of us.

At 12:00am on Thursday, November 23rd for my bday all of the freshman bought me a cake and sang happy bday to me. This meant a lot to me because I was missing my family earlier in the week and just wanted to go home! Going home was all I looked forward to for my bday, but their surprise bday gift made the day ten times better!

When one of us is sad or crying, it’s like were all sad and crying. When one of us is struggling and can’t seem to get up, the rest of us do our absolute best to pick them up. Never would I have thought that a sport could connect me with so many people in the way that the game of basketball has.I am grateful to God everyday and look forward to being around my “mates.”

‘MAN I LOVE MY TEAM I WOULD DIE FOR THEM GIRLS AHHH” (Drake voice) lol

Moving to NYC was a transition. Not only was I a freshman all over again, but there was no one to wake me up, no car rides to school, no home cooked meals, and worst of all I was on crutches because of my torn ACL. I knew that Jay-Z  said “and since I made it here, I can make it anywhere” but to crutch around NYC for a month and a half, there was no way I could do it. At that specific time in my life the only line I could relate to from Empire State of Mind was, “city is a pity, half of yaw won’t make it.” Despite my challenge I knew that attending college in New York City was something I always wanted to do, and I wasn’t going to allow for one ligament to stop me from achieving my goals. Everyday that I woke up I made sure I took three things with me; my faith, my book bag, and last but not least my crutches and knee brace, it was my daily routine.

My faith has always been an important part of my life, but during this time in my life I needed it more than ever. After the first night that my mom dropped me off at my dorm, I could not fall asleep ! I knew the city was nothing like New Jersey, but I thought there’s no way in the world someone needs an ambulance every 15 seconds, or that one person could single handedly wake up one street by blasting Rick Ross. I wasn’t home sick, it was just a new environment and I had to be more independent. Without my faith I know that I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did.

I’m sure we all know that one person who turns their purse into a suitcase or that one person that brings like 10 bags with them when they only need one. Well let me tell you I am that person! It was as if I had turned my book bag into my purse, my wallet, and my lunchbox. I was shocked that I had developed this habit but as I mention it was a part of the transition. The less that I carried the easier it was for me to get around the city with crutches.

The very last thing I made sure to grab everyday was my knee brace and crutches. The most difficult thing about the knee brace was that it took over my entire leg and messed up the other pant leg, specifically near the zipper. One day I went to fix my belt and realized oh crap! I have a hole in my pants!  It was then that I knew it was time to get rid of these crutches and buy a new pair of pants.

Although my first month and a half of college was probably one of the worst times of my life, I’ve come to appreciate the struggle. Subway stairs, waking up early, and large amounts of reading all helped me to appreciate where I am today, and that’s college. Had I not come to Baruch I wouldn’t of met some of the amazing people I know today. My roommate Iyana, my teammates Alicea and Sheridan made crutching one of the funniest things ever. Not only were they helpful in helping me to get around but they also gave me the nickname of “broke leg.” Now that I’m back on my feet and used to the loud music at 3am, subways, and dollar pizza I can honestly say that I have an Empire State of Mind.