After coming to Baruch and especially the freshman seminar course, I have made a lot of new friends. Sharing an English class with the same people in my seminar class makes the experience at Baruch even greater. What tops this is that in our English class we had a chance to go to the Whitney Museum as a class trip. Last time I was ever on a class trip in school was back when I was in middle school, and that trip was pretty boring. This trip, however, was different from the rest. In college no one expects the professor to actually host a trip to a museum in place of a lecture. But our English professor incorporated this trip into his lesson plans to give us something we can actually enjoy in college. It was my first time to the Whitney Museum and with the tickets free because of the CUNY ID, it was even more of an enjoyable experience. We got to spend a whole hour and a half exploring the museum as a class. Not only that but the view from the 8th floor of the Whitney was amazing, something everyone should see at least once. It was on this trip that I got to learn more about the city I live in, and the many areas that make my head go crazy. Before this trip, I honestly never knew there was an A, B, or C train in this city. This trip to the Whitney has really taught me many things about a city that I thought I knew all about. It makes me curious to see what more this wonderful city has to offer and what more is there to come in the future.
Month: November 2017
Baruch Voices and Whitney
For my Final Blog post, I would like to talk about a recent class trip which my English block took to the Whitney. I will also discuss Baruch voices, the choice of choosing what to talk about was rather a difficult task since both of the academic life visits were one of my favorite.
“No to racists. No to Fascists. No to taxes funding racists and fascists. No mercy for rapists. No pity for bigots. No forgiveness for nativists. No to all of those. No hope without rage. No rage without teeth. No separate peace. No easy feat. No to bounds by genders. No to clickbait as a culture. No to news as truths. No to art as untruths. No anti-Semitic anything. No Islamophobia anything. No progress without others. No meaning without meaning.” Followed by “No means no,” repeated four times. Just read that, line after line, and let it sink in. That’s what you have to do when each line is so powerful and they come together as a whole as these very lines did. That’s what the Whitney Museum did, it plastered those lines all over the entryway making your eyes draw to the plain white walls with distinct black lettering. The protest exhibits on the 6th floor of the museum may be the closest thing to a well-rounded well-connected exhibit as it gets. Attending the Museum School, and traveling every Wednesday to all the attractions NYC has to offer, going on a museum trip was nothing new to me. However, The Whitney was a brand-new experience.
Overall, the exhibit was extremely thought to provoke, and many of the works included were surreal. It made one see, that although many of these are a thing of a past, they very much exist today. The Whitney incorporated this in a way that is not corny, such as when our favorite T.V shows try incredibly hard to implement real-world issues, but in a way that you understand what you are seeing. This was not an ordinary “oil on canvas,” but rather “then and now,” and a “how far did we come, and how much further do we need to go.”
Now let’s move on to Baruch voices. Let’s just say, each FRO class did a wonderful job choosing someone to represent them. Some of the monologues were passionate, sad, powerful, funny— it was like a whirlwind of emotions. Literally, ask Salma, we all were on edge. A particular favorite of mine was the guy who made his monologue on the iconic SpongeBob scene, but only a true SpongeBob fan would know what the scene is early in the speech. There was also this saddening breathtaking monologue that ended up taking us by surprise when the man reading it said it was made up. That one really got to me. Overall, I’m so happy I went to Baruch voices, it was a great time. Shout out to Flint by the way.
Whitney
I went to the Whitney Museum. It was a very enjoyable experience. I got to explore the careers of many different artists and painter. I saw the way they expressed themselves through their paintings. It was for an English project but I got to explore the interior and the beauty the museum holds. Even the elevator and staircases showcased some kind of artwork. The building was shaped in a way that allows viewers to get a whole new experience.
This opened my eyes to different career paths. I necessarily won’t be pursuing a career in art but I got to see this through the lives of people who already done that. The different painters whose work was exhibited in the museum all have different back stories that accompany their work. Some wanted to politically express their views, and painted nationalistic artwork. Others wanted to outline a problem with their society and get the message across through visual aid. Some just wanted to take their ideas and put them on a canvas. All these had a similar enough effect to make them the paintings they are today.
The Whitney Museum is famous for this. Although I didn’t gain any physical career help through examining art, I picked up the way these careers were made. These artists had a vision that they would see their dreams come true and were able to pursue it successfully. This is what I gained from my trip to the museum.
Baruch freshmen at the Whitney
When I was a freshmen in high school I visited the Whitney, and it was quite the adventure. Walking up to the clay grey building, greeted with an array of lights and appetizing scents of the food court by the entrance. Inside the lightbulbs filled in an illuminating array on the ceiling and the instantly the allure of the interior was prominent. However, revisiting the Whitney in its new building in the freshmen year of college, I am not as pleased.
After walking into the behemoth room that is the entrance, you’re instantly greeted by the staff directing you to the appropriate ticket booth. In the old design the people gathered by the entrance of the building made a rather welcoming entrance as you made your way to the staff. The new design feels rigid or forced. A wide open room with no lingering bystanders, it may be neat and organized, but it was also restrictive and mundane. On the website they advertise the elegant transition from the outdoors to the building with wide open view room, which is free of charge. Might sound appealing, but what you’re left with isn’t all too great.
Walking around you get the feeling that the art was the utmost significance with large white space rooms displaying 4-7 pieces per room. The pale walls stand idle with a single piece of art to ornate the insipid surface. Only accompanied by a small card with a brief description about the piece. The ceilings lined with covered hooks for hanging art, whenever it may be necessary. With the new building, the priority was to be able to present the most amount of art without the experience feeling cluttered or rushed. Taking a look around at the faces that walked past the priceless canvas’ before them, as their eyes read the painting, analyzed its features, and arrived at an impression. The interior architecture worked spot on in that case. I found it rather dull, but to be fair the old design wasn’t all that better. I guess the fault lies with me, as the assumption that’s implied is the art is sole attraction, and I look around searching for another one.
Sure the outside of the structure is quite a marvelous site, but being regular day in the city, the urgency of getting to class on time took the pleasure of looking upon the building at first. Besides as I rushed toward the Whitney, I arrived at the back end greeted first by vile odor of city trash and the erosion pavement withered by negligence. Not the best first arrival. Maybe it’s an unfair review, from an unreliable source, but the was my experience upon my visit.
Career Building Blocks
As a DIY type of person, its usually hard to reach out for help because that requires swallowing your pride and showing weakness. I’d rather struggle and figure things out myself rather than ask for a helping hand. Attending the Career Building Blocks program, it was an easier way of saying “HELP ME PLEASE” because it did not involve any direct plea.
At this event I learned how to create a resume that will stand out to future employers, how to choose my major based on the vision I have for my future, and how the Starr Career and Development center can aid me in every step of the process.
When I first came to Baruch I thought that my intended major will be Business Management. People assume that the manager runs the company/branch, which is true, but I have a larger goal for myself. At this session I realized that my intended major should be Business Entrepreneurship. I want to have my own business which means I won’t be some boss with some authority, but The Boss with all the authority.
This event also taught me how to write an appealing resume. I currently have a high position job as an medical office manager, but in the future when I do apply to other jobs, I will need an eye catching resume to help me land the dream job.
Overall I met a lot of inspirational people and helped build my “Career Building Blocks” to the next step in my future.
At the Whitney Museum
Nestled between the bustling streets and the wisping clouds rests the Whitney Museum, a building with a breathtaking view. The museum is positioned in an urban location surrounded by several New York landmarks, such as the Hudson River, the High Line, and the Sugar Factory. The geographical positioning of the building reflects its structure and visitors: it is of modern design and the flow of museum-goers consistently appears to be made up of fashionable, chic city-dwellers and similarly-mannered tourists. The Whitney Museum boasts a modern design, modern-minded visitors and modern art. One cannot visit the Whitney Museum without being left speechless after experiencing the view from the top floor. After taking an enormous beautiful elevator upstairs and stepping out from the cafe onto the outdoor platform, the visitor is greeted by a jaw-dropping bird’s eye view of the city’s Meatpacking District spread out and around on the street level. Turn to the left, turn to the right, a new sight meets the eye: the Hudson River in all it’s roaring glory, waves rolling against docks, sunlight reflected in the glimmering surface. The museum’s positioning could not better enhance, display, and celebrate New York’s urban beauty. Several of the museum-goers are young adults and elderly people; indeed, the demographic appears to be quite lacking in children. The visitors all appear to be dressed quite nicely, respectful of the building’s glass-cast beauty and adding their own sprinkle of color. Their classy outfits go well with the simple black-and-white color layout of the walls in the building. Some visitors walk slowly, stopping before each piece and regarding it with thoughtful admiration. Others carry around cameras, preferring capturing the art on film and admiring it at a later time. Some even have accents; they may very well be tourists to the city who have chosen the museum as a desirable travel destination. The art comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. With expansive wall and high ceilings the rooms complement the art and add to the modern feel of the museum. The serious, dark, and taboo exhibition had walls which were pure black, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. The lighter-toned art was hung on walls of the purest white; many of these white-roomed pieces are actually paintings. Several of the pieces displayed are photographs rather than paintings, a nod to the current preference of digital experiences rather than hand-to-canvas connections. The Whitney Museum is a modern creation in a beautiful location.
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.
Career Blog Post
For my final blog post on the career portion of the blogs, I decided to go to the Finance 101 workshop through the Starr Career Center on Wednesday, October 25th from 5-6:30 in the afternoon. At the workshop, the instructor went over many of the careers in the finance industry that I had been thinking about going into. She also described what type of classes, skills, and knowledge would be helpful in going into the different financial careers. One of the main careers that interested me was regarding corporate finance since you can work in the finance department for a company or organization you care about. Also, there is good growth potential and it involves problem-solving which interested me as well. Besides this, investment banking was something that I along with many other people were interested in. Investment banking involved different kinds of careers within the field including in sales and trading, research, and banking itself. I enjoyed the sales and trading portion of the workshop for investment banking. It involves individual work, high pay, and client interaction which I would also enjoy. Besides these traits, it also involves understanding the markets and risk taking which I enjoy, but the only trade-off is the long hours you must work almost every day. Some of the other careers were interesting to hear about as well, although I don’t think I would want to get involved with them in the long term. While learning about retail banking was interesting, I didn’t like how repetitive it was and that there was only moderate growth potential. As for portfolio management, I didn’t like that there were risks to lose your job and as for insurance and CPA firms, I don’t like the job characteristics much either. The most interesting job would have to be asset manager. This job requires a lot of education and training, but can potentially be high paying and come with great incentives. To help me have more knowledge and know what to expect from these careers in the future, I can tailor my classes to what careers I want and also go to other Starr Center workshops and visits from companies so I could network and learn what to expect in those careers in the future. Overall, going to the finance workshop was very helpful and helped me prioritize what skills and training I would need for the careers I might like to have in the future.
Investment Management Club
The Investment Management Group (IMG) is a group of ambitious undergraduate students at Baruch College who manage a portfolio of stocks spanning across a variety of sectors.
During their general interest meeting – which was completely full – the chief officers explained how the club is managed and what we would expect if we joined the club. They also told us that IMG was very selective, and explained how to join the club. At the end of their presentation, I asked several questions to show my interest in the group.
After two successful interviews, I am now a part of IMG. I was very excited when I received the congratulations email from the CEO, which read:
“Congratulations! On behalf of the Investment Management Group, I would like to extend you an offer to join our group as a Junior Analyst. It was a very selective process from a pool of highly talented individuals; this semester’s acceptance rate was 7%. Your interviews demonstrated tremendous potential in your ability to become an Analyst in the group. We look forward, and are very excited, to see you put your abilities to work and develop the necessary skills for becoming an analyst.”
As a junior analyst, I’ll be attending training seminars and will have first-hand experience working with different teams. Since I am majoring infinance and I aspire to be an investment banker in the near future, this club is perfect for me.
