Author: a.gomez4

Recently, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to find an artwork to write about for my history class. I’ve been to the Met before, but during those times I was usually with friends or family. This time I went alone so I felt like I was able to pay much more attention to the works, allowing me to learn more. I spent a lot of time in the Egyptian section as I was trying to find a work that was pertaining to what I was studying in class, and there were so many interesting artworks. I noticed that the hippo was an animal that appeared quite frequently in Egyptian works. There was a statue that I had found of a hippo goddess and after doing some research realized that she was the goddess, Taweret, who was the goddess of childbirth and fertility in ancient Egypt. Afterwards, I had ended up in the American section, which was actually my first time seeing it. It was really interesting to see the set up and designs of houses that existed in the past. In the richer households everything was so elaborate and very in-your-face, which is quite different from today’s designs. There were also a lot of different paintings, but one that stood out to me the most depicted a war scene, showing a wounded soldier and another who was temporarily blinded due to the chemical warfare that took place. I’ve always liked learning about history and I do a little drawing as a hobby, I also recently started painting with watercolors, and so, seeing all of the art from places all around the world is really amazing. Especially when you take into account the materials that the people had available to them at the time to make such artifacts.

On Thursday, October 5, 2017, I attended the T.E.A.M. Baruch information meeting and learned about the process of joining in order to get jobs as peer mentors, orientation leaders and more. I found out that in order to become a T.E.A.M. Baruch member, you have to fill out an application and participate in an interview where you have to explain why you want to join. Then, if you make it into T.E.A.M. Baruch, you have to do another interview for the specific job, or jobs, that you want to be hired for. It’s a great opportunity that allows you to get more involved in the school while also getting experience for any job interviews you may have in the future. If you get a job, you can gain new skills and experience, which will help boost your resume in preparation for any jobs that you may want to apply to later on. As a person who is normally very shy and quiet, I feel like joining T.E.A.M. Baruch would be a great way to become more outgoing and open to others, which would be extremely helpful when trying to find a job. From the presentation it seems like a great organization that will help develop important qualities in a person while also helping to expose them to the responsibilities and hard work that comes with having a job. T.E.A.M. Baruch is something that can open up many doors for its members as it exposes them to opportunities that are usually not available to other students. For example, one of the speakers told us about a moment where one of the T.E.A.M. Baruch members actually got to go out and eat with the chancellor of CUNY, and the student government, which was something that could’ve only been done because he was a member. Overall, this group is a way to get involved with the school, make an impact on incoming freshmen’s lives as students, and have fun all while preparing for future careers/jobs through the responsibility and work you have while working the job that you were hired for.

On Thursday September 7th, I attended the Latin Heritage Month opening ceremony in the 2nd floor lobby of the vertical campus. There were students from many different backgrounds, not just Spanish speaking countries and it was very cool to see such a diverse group of people coming out for an event that celebrates a different culture than their own. The DJ played many different Spanish songs from a variety of artists while students lined up to take pictures at the photo booth with their friends. I also ended up taking pictures in the photo booth with my friend Jasmine. Then, once the pictures were taken, I and everyone else lined up for food at the two tables that stood on either side of the escalator. They served food like plantains, fried chicken, and little appetizer-sized empanadas which were all very satisfying. I also tried a drink called morir soñando, which may sound disgusting as it is orange juice and milk mixed together, but is actually very good. After eating, a game of musical chairs was played and although I didn’t participate, it was still very fun to watch. Once the chairs were cleared away, some students began to dance to the music. There were all kinds of styles, bachata, salsa, merengue and more. I also danced while, at the same time, tried to teach my friend how to dance to the songs that were playing. I am half Puerto Rican so it was very fun to be able to celebrate my culture with music, food, and dancing that have always been a part of my life, at school. It was also very cool to see people of other cultures and ethnicities enjoying the festivities as much as I was. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this event, but it turned out to be very exciting and enjoyable. I’m actually really glad I decided to attend and am looking forward to any upcoming events.