Author: s.chan4

On-Campus Recruiting Workshop

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This Halloween instead of going out tricking people unless I get a treat, I attended an on-campus recruiting workshop. I know it’s lame, but hear me out. Baruch’s on-campus recruiting program (OCR) is a great opportunity for students to make connections and get interviews for a range of positions with companies all across the New York tri-state area.

OCR workshops are primarily geared towards juniors and seniors, but everyone is welcomed. The hour and a half long workshop covered topics such as general OCR information and policies, how to navigate through Starr Search, resume and cover letter writing recommendations, steps to do before an interview, what to do/not to do during the interview, what to do after the interview, and how to accept/decline job offers. Most importantly, attending and staying for the entire workshop qualifies you for OCR for two years or one semester after your graduation date, whichever comes first.

For me, this workshop was a pregame changer. OCR gives students a chance at internships and full-time positions, which most Baruch students don’t apply for until later in their college career. That means the two year certification warranty won’t last me long after I start applying for full-time positions. Although I will most likely have to return to the workshop again some time in the future to renew my certification, I am prepared in terms of what to expect when entering the work field. I can also apply the information from the presentation to apply for other positions outside of OCR, something the presenter highly recommended for us to do.

Every student will have to attend this workshop at some point during their time at Baruch. It may sound like another tedious chore in our career path, but in reality, it is a major boost.

American Museum of Natural History

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Located at Central Park West & 79th St, the American Museum of Natural History is easily one of the largest museums in the world. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to the Natural History Museum and my recent trip there did not disappoint me.

Over the summer I’ve started getting into wildlife documentaries, especially fish. In the Irma and Paul Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life hangs a museum treasure: a ninety-four feet long, twenty-one thousand pound fiberglass model of a blue whale. The model is based off of a blue whale found along the southern tip of South America in 1925. The big whale in the room hangs as a reminder that ocean life is rapidly decreasing because of us and it is solely up to us to protect ocean life.

Another highlight of my day was the astronomy exhibit. The lower level had the entrance to the planetarium (which, unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to) and the upper level circling the planetarium were models of our solar system and the astronomy gift shop. It was interesting to see how all the planets’ and stars’ sizes compared to each other.

The third and last highlight of my visit were the dinosaurs. Unlike other museums, the Natural History Museum is extremely child friendly, they actually encourage families to bring children along. Taking their advice, I had brought along my toddler cousin, who is obsessed with dinosaurs at the moment, to the museum that day. Although I didn’t have time to read a lot of the descriptions of each display, I did learn a lot from my cousin’s rants about each dinosaur he dragged me past.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the American Museum of Natural History. I highly recommend to everyone  to visit if they have the chance.

Baruch’s VSA

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  The Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) at Baruch College is an organization dedicated to promoting the rich Vietnamese heritage through social and cultural events both on and off campus.

Starting off the club’s fifth year on campus, VSA held its first general interest meeting on August 31st. Through a series of icebreakers, games and (of course) food the club’s true nature is obvious. Even if you’re a shy and clueless freshman like me, the moment you walk into the room you’ll know VSA isn’t just a club, it’s a family that loves to come together to celebrate Vietnamese culture and have a good time.

VSA’s second event of the school year was a bake sale located in the second floor lobby of the NVC. Members welcomed back students with whoopie pies, brownies and Vietnamese iced coffee.

Third event of the year was a DIY summer rolls and language workshop. People were first taught how to make summer rolls through an instructional and humorous video filmed by the club, then everyone’s skills were put to the test. Once everyone enjoyed their creations, people were taught basic phrases one might need at a Vietnamese restaurant, such as greetings, thank you and common food dishes. Afterwards, an activity worksheet about the phrases was passed out. First group to finish received Baked by Melissa cupcakes.

After the third event, I stayed behind mainly because I had time to spare before my next class but I don’t regret it at all. I had a lot of one-on-on time with returning members. They gave me really useful advice about almost everything on how to survive Baruch from academics to the other students. Joining VSA is a really great opportunity for anyone to make new friends and make the most out of their time at Baruch College.

If anyone is interested, VSA’s second interest meeting is on Thursday September 14th during club hours in room 9-135. And no, you don’t have to be Vietnamese to join.