Upon entering the Mishkin I had not expected the gallery to consist of photographs. I expected more classic pieces, but was delighted with the different style that I was exposed to. I’m interested in photography and appreciated the artistic pieces more than the historic ones, personally. The woman who had led us through the exhibit was interesting , however she took really long to make her points. Overall I was impressed and enjoyed the experience more than some.

What just happened. Where am I. Who am I. What am I doing here. When is my next test. I had an essay due today?

My first semester of college… I don’t even know what to say. I’m writing this in the wee hours of my 18th birthday and I look back on how I came in- scared, wanting to go home to my mom, yet excited to be a straight-A student.  Nothing much has changed. Oh, except I’m far from a straight-A student. And I only have $0.89 left in my bank account. I’m still not quite sure what I’m doing here. I hate business but I’m hoping that will change next semester. I’ve decided to change my minor from Mandarin to French, which I’m happy about. I’m awful with keeping up with work. I wish I cared more! I just don’t I don’t care about business. I want to be a starving artist but I’m too scared of starving. But as a great man once wrote, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” That’s what I’m counting on. I want my sun to rise. Maybe it has, and I’m just staring in the opposite direction. When I try to turn and face the light, I realize that even though I’m studying something I hate just so that my parents don’t kick me out of the house and so that they love me, I’ve made some of my best friends in the world. I’ve gotten fitter. I’ve gotten opportunities. And I can do damn near everything with a microwave.

I really appreciate photography. Seeing a picture of Times Square in 1946 is the coolest thing ever when you think about it. Every cloud, every shadow is frozen in time the way it was then, never to look like that again except in the memory of an inked on image. Long-forgotten stars of Old Hollywood and ads for products that have come and gone from fashion plaster the walls just as ads for the new Acura 2014 and Jennifer Lawrence’s weird face do now. It makes  you think, really. These things were big deals back then, back at that very second. They were talked about. What’ll happen 70 years from now? Will J-Law and Honda Civics be relics of a time forgotten, only available to our great-grandchildren through 2-D images that really, when it comes down to it, mean nothing to them? And the people. The little blurs on the street, and the ones you can’t see riding in buses or driving the cars congesting the road. The photo will capture a moment of their lives- there. Right then. These people were alive. They were sad, happy, rushing, sight-seeing… they were in the midst of their lives, now buried six feet under or aged beyond recognition from the mere back of the head. But there they are, living in the moment forever. Photos are so much more than pictures on paper. They are windows into details, times, lives- long forgotten now. It was as if we stole it from Time. No, we said. You can’t take this moment. It is now ours, belonging to all humans, for all eternity. They are intimate seconds, so short that the people and things in the photo probably didn’t even notice them ebb away. We are the thieves of time, and the cameras are our lock-picks.

I didn’t really pay attention to any of the other pictures, sorry.

This picture I feel is what my college experience is so far. If i just look at the big picture i can not see anything and it just confuses the hell out of me and scares me. While when i look at different parts and different experiences so far i like and enjoy what i see and experience. I always have been scared of the future but i am just ready to move on now and I want to experience everything college has to offer and no longer focus on the little things and try become who i want to be and i see that there are plenty of opportunities for that at Baruch. Even if its at clubs or with my friends, or with random people i meet by my  random food cravings.

No link, its mine

To be honest, I liked the exhibit. I saw photos that capture a time period that I will never witness first-hand. I felt like the tour guide was nervous giving a tour to a bunch of college freshmen, who she thought probably don’t appreciate fine art. I tried to hear what she said but due to everybody else crowding around her, I was almost always stuck in the back. But I found that I could appreciate art on my own, rather than with a tour guide. The most memorable photo to me was the one detailing about old superstitions and how to avoid being bewitched.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. The pictures that I saw at the gallery spoke to me in ways that remind me how lucky I am to be where I am today. Seeing the pictures of those kids back in Africa with burns from all the branding just stopped my heart. It made me remember all of the kids back in the Philippines that are unfortunate enough to not even have a family or a warm home to go to. Especially now with because of the typhoon that hit. Seeing all of those people with nothing got me to cry. What made me feel hope was the strength my people back home had. They didn’t ask “Why me?” or “Where is God?”. They were praying to God for help and helped each other out, neighbor helping neighbor and stranger helping stranger. As long as there is hope, everything will get better in the long run.

On the first day of the beginning go my college career I walk in, seeing strangers I’ve never before in my life. A guy with tattoos looking like he can kick my ass, 2 guys in the back that look like they only want to keep to themselves, a tall kid that looks like a loner, a big kid in the back that was the only one who got the Psych text book, the 2 black guys I met in orientation, a bunch or people who are already in their own little group, 2 attractive indians, a girl who looks like she knows how to party and a girl who was very peppy. The only person I really knew was Anthony. What I didn’t expect was that all of these people, these strangers would become a second family to me. Lizzie and I became friends so quickly, it was like we’ve been friends for a long time. Eric and his tattoos is actually the nicest kid who no one should ever fuck with lol. Dennis the Menace was always the leader in the group. Tony and Anthony, aka chubs and sam, can be ass holes sometimes but you can always trust them. Jen knows how to really listen to everybody and understood everyone. Nadiya and Parneet always talk about which guy is hot in school and if they don’t talk at all, we all know something is wrong. The greeks after a while conformed to our little group and they are pretty chill guys. Justin is like a ghost, one second he’s with you and the next he’s off doing his own thing. Adam, Sean, Myisha and Angela Keep to themselves but they are still part of the group. These people aren’t strangers anymore, and I am honored to be part of LC09.

http://www.thezooom.com/2012/05/1667/

This picture resembles my first semester experience at Baruch. I came from a pretty big Catholic High School in Queens, St. Francis Prep and I thought I was prepared because it is a college preparatory school but it turned out I was prepared but not for the fact of not getting more assignments other than the standard three tests and maybe a project. The grades are weighted heavily therefore it is a challenge. Overall I like Baruch and now that I chose my next semester schedule I am confident I will do better and also I have classes with two of m friends.

This Museum visit was absolutely horrible. I really was dreading to go to this workshop from the beginning and what I witnessed just added to the misery. The tour guide like everyone said was so boring and monotone and the pictures were basically pictures that many of us have seen before. They say honesty is a good thing so i’ll be honest and say that I really didn’t like this workshop and no one picture stood out to me.