http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Clock.gif

My experience in Baruch College so far has been a fairly memorable one. I started expecting the worst because I’m not dorming and I wanted the full, typical college experience. As I slowly got used to college life, I began to like it. The workload itself is definitely manageable and I have a lot of free time compared to highschool. On another note, my biggest challenge has been time management, hence the reason I chose a picture of a clock. Besides being a student, I work at a local bakery during most of my free time. On a typical day, I go to school and head to work right after. When I’m not working or going to school, I either study or hang out with friends. Recently, I’ve been making the mistake of prioritizing my leisure time when I should be studying. Even though it’s a challenge, I like keeping myself busy instead of being unproductive. My biggest regret this semester has been not getting involved in a club or organization. Personally, it hasn’t been that easy to meet as many new people as I would’ve liked to since Baruch is a commuter school. My goals for next semester are to get involved in a club or organization, manage my time better, and keep my priorities in check. I am definitely excited for the new experiences that await me.

http://grooveshark.com/playlist/FRO+Blog+Post/91046298

1. Go It Alone – Dash Berlin

2. Live Forever – Ferry Corsten

3. Check It Out – Ferry Corsten

4. Drowning – Armin Van Buuren

5. Rage Valley – Knife Party

6. Forever Is Ours – Armin Van Buuren

7. Live For the Night – Krewella

8. Till the Sky Falls Down – Dash Berlin

According to this music playlist, one can assume that I am a fan of EDM (electronic dance music). For those of you who don’t know, the artists of these songs are renowned DJ’s known worldwide and often play at big festivals and clubs. Personally, I am a big fan of this music and enjoy attending concerts during my free time. On another note, each song in this playlist relates to my life in its own individual way. First of all, the first track (Go It Alone – Dash Berlin), reflects my mindset to success; at times you may need the help of others to overcome obstacles, but they’re not always gonna be there for you. The second and seventh track both relate to the nights when I’m living in the moment and I just wanna have a good time. The fifth track relates to all the times when I get upset or mad, and relieve my stress by listening to music. The last track reminds me to always persevere, especially in the hardest of times, “till the sky falls down”.  For those of you who are reading this, I encourage you to listen to these songs so you can better understand my connections to them.

1. The theme that my group chose for our front page was music because almost everyone listens to music or has listened to music at one point in their lives. The articles we selected fit this theme because they showed our individual interests in music.

2. My individual role in the project was an administrator like everyone else and I had to summarize an article that related to music in New York City.

3. This project did not really influence my understanding of “news literacy” because I only summarized one article and I’ve already been reading news articles from time to time.

https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/group3/wp-admin/

In not only New York City, but in all of America today, the popularity of electronic dance music, more commonly referred to as EDM, has been rapidly rising. In the article, “Drug Deaths Threaten Rising Business of Electronic Music Fests”, the use of MDMA in electronic music festivals is discussed. Since March, at least seven young individuals have died after overdosing on MDMA and other party drugs known as ecstasy or molly. As a result, the three-day Electric Zoo festival on Randall’s Island was shut down after the second day at the request of New York City officials after two individuals died. In America today, the rapid growth of drug-related deaths in electronic festivals has become a growing concern to many. Personally, as a fan of EDM and electronic festivals and concerts in general, it bothers me that one of my favorite hobbies is often tainted with the  words “drug misuse” and “immature young kids”. Why should others have to suffer because a few kids couldn’t handle themselves? Personally, I think that if you’re gonna take drugs at these festivals, at LEAST be responsible so you don’t ruin the party for everyone else.