d.uvaydov – Freshman Seminar Fall 17 CRA

WHITNEY MUESEUM

For my final blog, I’ll tell you all about a trip I took to the Whitney museum recently. The layout and architecture of the Whitney Museum may be just as impressive as its artwork itself. On the top floor of the museum the outdoor area offers a beautiful view of New York City. Inside the museum, the artwork is spread out across each room and there is plenty of open space. There is an interesting set of metal stairs outside that allow people to go between floors while still being able to see the amazing view. Inside, the building has rather unique elevators, some elevator doors are painted as if they’re wooden doors. One elevator in particular is very large, so large it feels like a room. On the third floor, lies an exhibit that is in a dark room. There is an assistant that passes out headlamps for those that dare to enter. Inside, plastic arms and legs lay inside boxes everywhere. There are colorful flashing lights coming from an object that resembles a very large disco ball. In the background there is different people on a screen and strange noises fill the room. The exhibit is both frightening and interesting at the same time. The Whitney is more modern than other museums I have attended not just in the art but the furniture and walls of the place. On the lowest floor there is a place for people to check in their belongings and next to it a quite comfortable lounging area. All together, the building reflects a luxurious apartment and makes one feel quite sophisticated.

When I First Saw You

When I first saw you
I immediately knew
Exactly what I had to do
I had to step up to the plate
Because you were, my soulmate

You could say I had a crush
When we talked you would always blush
You always looked so damn fine
All I needed was a little time
Then I knew you would be mine

You had such beautiful long black hair
About the other girls, I didn’t care
The one in front of me seemed so rare

One day in school I just couldn’t resist
I grabbed your hand and then we kissed
Your lips had such a pleasant taste
Not another second did we waste

And no, a monologue doesn’t have to rhyme
But this one does and it is no crime

In my final words let me say
To get what you want, there’s no need to pray

There’s only one thing you have to do
Grab life by the balls and say fuck you.

Bloomberg-What Are Stocks?

For my blog post this week I decided to go to Workshop about a company called “Bloomberg”. In the workshop we learned about software called “Bloomberg Terminal”. According to the instructor, people in the finance world use the software to buy and sell things called “stocks”. A stock represent partial ownership in a company so if someone were to believe that a company had potential to grow and make money, they can buy the stock. When the company growths their ownership in the company or the stock will gain in value to represent the company’s value increasing. All the different stocks are traded on something called the stock market. Some investors use the Bloomberg Terminal to do long term value analysis on different companies, while others analyze charts to try to predict the next price. Stocks are not the only item however that a Bloomberg Terminal is used for. The Bloomberg Terminal also allows people to buy different currencies, commodities, and treasury bonds. Another interesting fact I learned is that the Bloomberg softwares is not cheap. The software can cost up to $2000 per month per computer, and usually banks need to purchase hundreds of Terminals to supply to their whole staff. Through the workshop I took a small stop forward to further understand the complex world of finance and what it has to offer. Also the value that a Bloomberg Terminal has to offer by supplying live real time stock market news, detailed financial information, and different suggestions based on knowledgeable analysts from different banks.

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Suicide Prevention gives you balls, when you actually need ice cream.

It was a mere 36 hours before my blog posting was due for Freshman Seminar and I still hadn’t gone to an event. Luckily my friend, Dung, saved me. She was going to a suicide prevention event and I tagged along. Once we arrived I was bombarded with all types of statistics about suicide in college. One man said that “8 percent of students in college have thought seriously about suicide.” It was at that very moment I realized I was part of the lucky 92%. Another woman told me about how she is trying to break down the stigma associated with mental health. She told me that the stigma is that we look down upon people that have mental health issues, but when someone has a physical issue most people are understanding. She told me her goal was to get people to think of mental health in the same way we think about physical health now, and to understand that there is nothing wrong or weak about asking for someone’s help. She then offered me a red stress ball, which I politely declined. I also didn’t understand how that small squishy ball would prevent someone from committing suicide, since a majority of suicide victims commit suicide as a result of depression rather than stress or anger. I think a pint of ice cream would be more helpful at that point then a cheap red ball made in china. However, I learned a lot from the experience and now have a new outlook on suicide. I will be now be keeping my eyes peeled for those 8% that struggle, and hand them some ice cream, when and if I find them.

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