FRO13 EMC

I chose this picture of the earth because it is symbolic of the world I have been exposed to this year. Baruch is unlike any school I have been to before. While my high school was private and made up of a very small and interconnected community, Baruch is full of so many different types of people I never before had a chance to interact with. It is almost like Baruch has been a taste of reality. Furthermore Baruch has presented challenges but also convenience. Finally I am able to organize my own schedule and work on my own time. The independence I have found at Baruch has been intimidating but also beneficial. I feel that going to Baruch has opened many doors especially because I am able to remain in NY, a place with infinite possibilities for internships and jobs. I am excited to continue exploring this new world and environment among such a diverse group of people. I have found it extremely interesting working and learning in such a different environment both physically and mentally, and among such different students. I came in to Baruch with many expectations and found some to be met and others not – but regardless I have found myself comfortable and happy at this school. I would definitely describe my experience as pleasant, and one that I am glad to have had. I am excited to continue my education here and strive to do my best in all classes and be resourceful – since Baruch offers so much, it is only a matter of seeking out help.

-Meirav Weintraub

I had only two hours of sleep the  previous night so I attempted a “power nap.” I woke up 20 minutes later and I missed our class. I opened up my Google maps and found my way to the Rubin Museum. I actually did not know that this museum was just for one region of the world. I was initially wondering why are there so much of the Indian culture displayed and represented. when we went to a higher floor of the museum, I understood this museum was just for a particular cultural background. There was a big map and it depicted the Indian countries like Pakistan in the center, respectively acknowledging Pakistan as a former Indian territory. There was this dark room and the setting was very calm. It was so calm, a random girl was meditating in the corner that I could have sworn she was part of the display. That room with holy, sacred representations of a Hindu temple really eased me up and with less worries. It was almost like the setting of that room puts you in a place with easing concerns and or issues.

When I first learned that I would have to go to a museum as part of FRO I wasquite upset.  I knew there would be no way out of going to the museum so I decided to man up and not complain. So the day comes to go to the museum we all meet up and start walking there. It was a bit nipy that day but nothing I couldn’t handle. The museum wasn’t too far but it was much farther than what I had expected. No matter I wanted to get there and get over with it. I had a midterm that day and wanted to study rather than going to a museum. So we arrive quickly get our tickets and start walking around. What first caught my eye was a religious figurine from India. It was intricate and I found it interesting to stare at. What i saw next was, what could only be described as, a miniature Buddhist temple. I thought it was an interesting little artifiact to look at and read the description of. We kept going through the museum and I kept getting amazed by all the ancient artifacts that were  organized neatly. I thought it was a great experience that day.

Honestly, I did not find the trip to the Rubin Museum that eventful.  Some parts in the museum were sort of interesting, such as the Buddhist Shrine room.  There wasn’t really much of a tour, it was more just walking around each floor, then simply moving onto the next.  Maybe I will visit some other time when I don’t have anything to do to better understand the exhibits.  The timing of the trip wasn’t that great because we had a psychology exam that same day.

At this point in time college is proving itself to be an interesting experience so far. No doubt in a few months Baruch will lose its charm, once it is no longer a shiny, new experience for me to play around with and get accustomed to. However, because it is still new, it is still lovely. Im not sure, though, if im managing just fine. It seems to me like im managing fine, as the meme points out, but i cant be sure whether thats because im actually doing things right, or if im totally screwing everything up without knowing. My classes seem easy enough, i seem to be studying and getting the majority of my work done with good grades, but at the same time im not sure how grades work in college. For the past 12 years of my life i’ve gotten “report cards” several times a year, and so at the end of the semester, i dont know what to expect if not a report card. Im not sure if im really doing as fine as it feels i am, or if im completely oblivious to the fact that my experience here is an accumulating train-wreck waiting to happen.

In my honest opinion, my experience at the Rubin Museum was uneventful and disappointing. I was more interested in when the whole walk through would be over rather than the exhibits. The whole tour was pretty rushed which honestly helped with my impatience. The shrine display I felt was the closest thing there that piqued my interest. It felt peaceful to look at and relaxing. The place itself however was really dark and there was little space to move around so I felt cramped inside.

The trip was pretty interesting. Though, I don’t have any interest in history and museum. But, I was finally interested in the museum. I found some scriptures from my country and other Asian countries about which I have a lot of knowledge. It was not really fun walking a long way on street in a cold weather but eventually, it turned out to be an experience which I might not get again as I would never go to a museum by myself. Ant the trip was annoying as it was planned just before our psychology exam.

If you want a honest opinion the trip was obviously not fun which could be seen from the enthusiasm in everyone. For me it wasn’t fun for two reason firstly because I never liked going to the museum and secondly because i had a mid term right after the trip and i rather have been revising for that paper. I wish we are not forced to all the fro activities rather they should be made fun so that we ourselves volunteer to participate. However at least I enjoyed the walk to the museum i guess that was the best part of the trip.

If I’m being completely honest, our trip to the Rubin Museum was un-inspirational and the complete opposite of being full of life. Instead being interested and passionate about the place itself, I was more excited about leaving. It also didn’t help about the fact that I don’t like museums in the first place and that I had a midterm the hour after. I felt like the spiral staircase was the most interesting part of the museum. We also didn’t get to see everything in the museum, therefore, my view of it is a bit biased and irrational. However, the shrine temple was decently likable, but only because it was “cool” to look at. Overall I did not enjoy the experience because it’s mostly about Buddhism and Tibetan art, which does not fascinate me or the rest of the class, or just most of it. In any case, I would not come back here or recommend anyone else to come here unless they are heavily sparked by the artifacts and paintings of the Buddhist and Tibetan art.

Elisabeth Lee

I would like to say that the trip to the Rubin Museum for the FRO Enrichment Course was a delightful event. However, that would be an utter and total lie. I felt like I would have enjoyed it much more if it hadn’t been smack dab in the middle of midterms week (a lot of my friends did it weeks before so I don’t know why we didn’t do that also) and if my psychology midterm wasn’t an hour away. Still, Allison was a great peer mentor and tried to make the trip as painless and somewhat educating as possible. We saw a few exhibits (though like I said, I would’ve been more focused on it had I not had so much more on my mind at the time) which were pretty interesting, though I don’t particularly remember the names of them. And there were a few that I saw by myself that were hands on that we could peer into and see images. Overall, I thought the atmosphere of the Museum itself was quite nice and if given the chance, and I was there in the area, I would gladly go and see it again. Except this time I’ll take my time and try to enjoy the experience.

– Aly (Yoewon) Yoon.