For our NY Times project, my partners and I decided the focus of our project would be on science. We decided to use science because it is a relevant part of our daily lives and is the key to the future as well. The article I selected which was on the meteor that came down in Russia presented a opportunity of scientific discovery and learning. My individual role included searching for an article that fit within the theme and creating the best article summary I could to describe the article and how it connected to science. Overall, I think we did a good job as a group to find scientific articles to bring to light the many things going on in our world, and I also learned a lot from my partner’s articles as well.

The theme that our group chose for the NY Times  project was “events in New York” as Freshman at Baruch we felt that this theme connected and resonated with us very much. The idea for the theme was brainstormed between myself and my group leader, though ultimately the group leader made the decision. The articles that we chose connected to our theme because they all described an event occurring in New York or relevant to New York. Which as students of Baruch is very important because our campus is literally in the heart of New York City.  My article in particular described a musical event, showcasing that though we are in a business school, because our campus is in New York we still have the chance to experience the arts. My individual role in this project was to contribute one New York Times article and highlight one Baruch event in the “Bearcat” section. Though I had to contribute a little bit more than the other members I felt that in general our group leader did a good job of distributing the workload evenly. Overall I would say this project was beneficial for my “news literacy” because it pushed me to read and connect several articles to a specific theme. Increasing my ability to read selectively and to connect more with the news that goes on around me.

Amy Campos

New York Times Article
Theme:New York
Our group selected New York as our theme. It was a good theme since it encompassed a variety of articles to choose from. Also, our theme applied to everyone in our class because we all go to school in New York. The group leader came up with the idea, and everyone else completed an article summary. Although, my individual article was actually based on New Jersey it held ties to New York politics and affairs. It was a New York Times contributor writing about the progress made in New Jersey. My individual role was to scout an article that applied to the overall group theme and write about it. I, like all of my group members worked independently to achieve a greater, more complete front page. In all, we completed, and presented the project thoroughly and achieved our point. This experience enhanced my understanding of news literature. This experience rekindled a belief that news literature can be impactful in a positive way. News literature is usually about horrible happenings or mundane matters. But in this occurrence the news is cheerful and important.. This article could create momentum, and it could inspire other people to go and try to achieve their goals. In all, this experience started out as something to get done, but it evolved to something to learn. It was a good exercise, and I understand why the school demands freshman to complete it every year.

The topic that my group chooses for our New York Times project was Technology. The theme of our blog was a new beginning. Since there are also new technological advances in the world today, it can also count as a new start for the world. As freshmen entering college, we are situated in a brand new environment and finding ways to become accustomed to life in college. Events such as club fair can help new students feel welcomed and part of the environment at Baruch. Meeting new friends and being part of a club can add to a better experience at Baruch College. The technology articles that I picked are new advancements that can help ease college life. For example, a cell phone case that can charge your phone easily. Instead of looking and borrowing a charge from Baruch College, the cell phone case can easily power up your phone.  My role in the group project was the group facilitator. As the group facilitator, it was somewhat stressful because all my group members depended on my instructions and leadership. I was responsible for anything my group achieves and fails to achieve. It was my responsibility to guide my members through the project and help them when they’re having trouble. Since everyone in my group was either working or busy with their personal life it was difficult to contact them. I tried my best to explain the project over the internet but not everyone is available to listen, or it was confusing. The New York Times project helped influenced my understanding on news literacy by giving me a deeper insight on the field. I can understand how an article is organized, why it was published, and who the audience of the article might be. Overall, the New York Times project has been helpful towards my first semester at Baruch.

– Amy Wang