Blog #2

For my student life blog post I will be talking about my experience at Success Network. Success Network is an organization that helps student prepare for college life and also prepare them for a successful future.
At first I was extremely frustrated that had to go. I never been a part of an organization before and I felt as if this was a waste of time. After doing the doing the workshops and talking to some teachers and older students my attitude started to change. Doing this allowed me to learn about myself with the activities we did such as learning our top 5 personality traits. On September 28 we had another meeting where we talked about how the transition has been so for and how to be prepared to apply for next semester.
Joining this organization definitely made me feel more prepared for college and my future. I definitely would advise someone to join an organization or a club even if it’s not this one because the connection you build with the people there and the knowledge you get is something you can’t learn in the classroom.

Blog #2

On my daily commute from Penn Station to Baruch I always pass by FIT, a college that specializes in fashion, I never paid to much attention to it until I realized there was a museum. I decided to walk in there and knock out a freshmen blog for attending an NYC museum. Little did I know that I would be only guy there and that I would be surrounded by middle aged women.

Although, boring the exhibits displayed were very informative, it discussed the relations nature has with textiles. For example, during the Renaissance period flowers were commonly found on dresses this was mainly attributed to exotic flowers that were flourishing in Europe-boring. However, there was a section I found interesting, Charles Darwin’s son draws a comparison of dresses to natural selection and how it changes throughout the years, the good ones stay and bad ones go producing new dresses every year.

The exhibition didn’t only focus on fashion but, also textiles, FIT students developed a textile called “AlgiKnit” a biodegradable product that can knitted like yarn. It didn’t go into full detail about how long material would last until it would degrade but, biodegradable clothes a interesting concept.

I also didn’t realize how much inspiration people take from nature and apply it into clothing. For example the latest swimsuits such as Fastskin II developed by Speedo was inspired by sharkskin. The surface design of the suit held similarities to the surface of a shark’s skin which allows reduced drag, allowing swimmers to PR and cut through water. Another, similar cloth is the “Black Magic suit” a recently developed suit which imitates the way water rolls off of leaves and duck feathers.

Before, visiting this museum I always thought that fashion was considered wearing weird outfits and calling it “fashion” . But, the development of cloth is really interesting and I realized its what Nike does with drifit, adidas  does with ultraboost, and what under armour does with its sweat wick fabric.This image requires alt text, but the alt text is currently blank. Either add alt text or mark the image as decorative.

Starr Career Development Center ” Internship Seminar”

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For this week’s blog post I attended a Starr Career Development Center workshop. During the internship seminar workshop, I was surprised to have learned so much. What amazed me was Baruch’s wide variety of tools and consoles to help each of us when in need for job search. The speaker, Michael Kalish, guided us through Baruch’s special career services center called Starr Search. This program is filled with jobs and internship opportunities that are only a click away. Every job and internship posted goes through Baruch’s special team to ensure that every listing is legit and beneficial to students. Not only does Baruch have a cool way to search for job and internship opportunities, our school also has a counseling center to help students prepare for interviews and resume building. I was so shocked at a number of unities our school has to offer! The Starr Search is something that I look forward to using in the future!

While job searching was part of this workshop, the main focus of this workshop was about internships. The speaker spoke about what to expect through an internship. He told us how to receive credit for internships and how to differentiate from a legit to a fake. I was happy to learn that students would be able to receive school credit from doing an internship; even if it is paid. This would be helpful in the future since I wouldn’t need to take as many credit classes that are nonrelated to my major.

Overall, I was happy to have attended an Internship Seminar. I was able to learn a lot about our school and about interning. Baruch seriously has so many helpful events, activities, and facilities that I can’t wait to continue to explore in the next few years.

 

The Rubin Museum of Art

The Rubin Museum of Art is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The museum specializes in artwork from the Himalayas and its surrounding neighbors, like India. Their mission is to promote understanding, stimulate learning, and to spark personal connections to the culture and ideas of Himalayan Asia.

I had to go to the Rubin Museum of Art for a homework assignment I had to do for my art history class. I am not the type of person who chooses to go to museums and usually would never go unless it is required of me to. I was not expecting to enjoy myself at all as I am not a big fan of museums, much less for ones specializing in art.

When I got to museum, I was surprised that it was so small. When I think about museums, I think of huge building with massive amounts of rooms and high ceilings. The Rubin Museum of Art, however, threw me off. If anything, it looks like a regular building you can find anywhere in that neighborhood. The museum has a total of five floors, each with its own different exhibit on each floor. People can have the option of being lazy and taking the elevators, or they can walk up the big, winding spiral staircase located conveniently at the center of the building. I chose to use the stairs.

Museums always have special exhibits going on, and The Rubin was the same. Right now, there is a special exhibit going on focusing on sounds. It is called “The World is Sound” and it was a pretty cool experience. There were parts where I had to touch the wall in order to hear what was playing over the speaker. I found it interesting how none of the different displays were overlapping and disrupting each other. It was as if each display was in their own little room. The sounds played ranged from religious mantras to sounds found in the nature to traditional instruments used in the Buddhist and Hindu culture. Out of my entire experience there, I’d say the sound exhibit was my favorite. You should definitely check the exhibit out before it closes in January.

Blog #2 AMNH

 

On Friday, October 9th, I went to the American Museum of Natural History after a week of planning and scheduling and canceling, with my friend Maggie. We lined up quick for our last class and left as soon as possible to get there on time. Part of the reason why I went there was to do my field assignment for my ENV class, but I also had a different motive. I wanted to see the Titanosaur, the 122-foot-long dinosaur. However. as time was ticking, we had to finish our field assignment first. First, we had to go to the Hall of biodiversity and the Felix M. Warburg Hall of New York State Environment. I’ll admit that we got a little lost. After questioning a random passerby, we managed to find our way. As the tedious lab questions dragged on and the answers to them played hide-and-seek, we began to lose our patience to frustration and anger. After attempting to describe the answers from the many signs. we decided to take a break. Eventually we got ourselves together and managed to finish our field assignment.

Personally, I would never come back to the AMNH unless its for leisure and only if I manage to get there early. Although I found the museum to be interesting, the fact that I had to answer questions about it made it annoying. However, it wasn’t all terrible. Maggie and I passed the meteorites and gems on our way to the dinosaurs, and we stopped to take a break in them. We had a small discussion on the different types of jade and their value. Honestly, I would have had so much more fun and learned so much more if I went to the AMNH by my own free will. I would have been more carefree and willing to read all the tiny blocks of text on the wall. At least I finished my assignment.

Blog #2- Study Abroad

Baruch held its annual Study Abroad Fair on September 14th. I have always entertained the idea of studying in another country.There is a plethora of opportunities to grow as an individual. Think about it, by studying abroad we are pushed out of our comfort zone. We have to experience a new culture and language. As young men and women, we are able to experience diversity firsthand. Furthermore, this allows us to appreciate difference, as a good thing. A completely new environment, new education system. As I made my way to each college info desk. The students who were explaining about the colleges, were actually students there. They just so happen to be studying abroad at Baruch for a semester. This was great because their experiences are very genuine. They told us what they did for school as well as their social life. For the most part, every student would rather talk about the social life than academics. They always mentioned how there is parties everyday. There is a variety of nightclubs that are very easy on a student’s wallet. The most interesting thing that various students pointed out about their college is that there courses are relatively easy. Easy in the sense that attendance is not mandatory. The grade for the course is based on the midterm and final. Homework is pretty much non-existent. In order to help the students studying abroad from America, the college would offer courses in English making the assimilation process, much easier. Henceforth, I am very excited of the idea to study abroad. The decision to pick a city is difficult, since the options are endless. The good thing is that I still have some time to make a decision.

Blog Post #2: Athletic Event

On Tuesday, September 26th, I went to an athletic event at Baruch’s ARC Arena with a friend. We watched a women’s volleyball game between Baruch’s own Bearcats and the Bulldogs from Brooklyn College. Although I’ve never been much of an athlete or fan of sports, I chose to watch a volleyball game because I’ve always been intrigued by the game’s mechanics. I feel like volleyball requires a lot of precision and coordination from its players, which often makes for fair games and interesting plays. During the game, I saw many spikes, which have proved to be my favorite type of attack because they’re not only aggressive, but also very calculated in most of the situations they’re used in.
My overall impression of the event is that sports like volleyball take more dedication and effort from its participants than I considered prior to this game. I found a new respect for student athletes after realizing their dedication to their sport of choice. Although faced with a loss at the end, the women’s volleyball team includes many talented players who make their determination and passion apparent when they step on the court to play. The same can be said about the Bulldogs, who played with their full potential and still maintained a level of respect. In fact, the general atmosphere in the gymnasium was both respectful and competitive. However, I was most inspired by the players’ abilities to balance their academic lives with their dedication to volleyball.
I never really understood the excessive popularity surrounding sporting events like the World Cup or the Super Bowl. However, after speaking with other onlookers I came to the conclusion that a sport can be enjoyed even if one doesn’t play it. I plan to get involved by attending more sporting events to support Baruch teams.

The Whitney Museum

Recently I went to the Whitney Museum and unexpectedly had a great time. As a child I would go to museums all over Manhattan with my parents and I hated it. I went with my childhood friend who also attends Baruch and was not very excited at first. In the beginning I was walking around the museum and was not impressed by any of the art. But as I kept on walking around I was constantly stopping and staring at paintings. It was then when I realized that art is not as boring as I once thought it was. I was using my imagination to understand what some pieces were and I realized the beauty of art. I wasn’t just looking at paintings like I would do when I was a child but I was understanding the deeper meanings in the art. For me it was a realization that I matured. In the past I would beg my parents not to take me to museums but now I want to visit more. There was this one exhibition byCalder that I really enjoyed. It closes later this month so I was told to check it out by one of the employees. The artist, Alexander Calder, makes really cool structures with vibrant colors. I enjoy seeing structures and statues as opposed to paintings in museums so I think that is why I liked it so much. Overall, my appreciation for art has changed dramatically and I cannot wait to go to more museums.

Blog #2: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art

     On Saturday I made a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am not a talented painter nor a sculptor, but I absolutely love art. Although, I found the Met to be more than a collection of art; it was a way to learn about history by analyzing the historical context of the art or exhibit. There were more than just paintings, but accessories, musical instruments, clothing, and architecture from all over the world! Honestly, I cannot even think of the right words to express my excitement. For those who know me personally, they know that I was experiencing heaven on earth — I am a history nerd.

One part of the exhibit that I remember well was the lesson on how the Egyptian and the Roman cultures had an influence each other economically, artistically, and culturally. I also learned the influences these two major powers had on the Mediterranean region during the prosperous growth of inter regional trade while the existence of Egyptian Pharaohs and the Roman Empire were on the rise. Talking about trade, conquests, and agriculture reminded me of my history class way back in 6th grade. We had to build a massive project on key parts of the Roman Empire and the elements that the area was composed upon (Colosseum, roads, mile markers, material, aqueducts, etc…) It was nice to be able to expand my knowledge about a topic that was covered when I was in grade school.

There was obviously so much more to the Museum, but I did not have enough time to cover every inch of it that I wanted to. It’s very disappointing, but on the bright side I now have an excuse to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art often. If I had not completed this enrichment workshop, I highly doubt that I would have made the time to explore the different museums that I have access to. There are many other museums to explore and learn from which I intend to make use of while I have my student discount. In regards to my first semester, it broadened my horizon on what New York City has to offer that can enrich my learning experience!

Blog #2: Study Abroad Fair

About two weeks ago,  I went to Baruch’s Study Abroad Fair. I was extremely excited to go and learn more about some of the possible countries that I could be considered a foreign student at. As soon as I entered the gym, I was bombarded by students to learn more about their country and university. To my surprise, the students who were talking about the schools were native to that area. They were studying abroad here at Baruch and giving their perspective on their home school. I thought that it was so cool to hear from actual students of those universities, rather than students at Baruch who have just attended for a semester. They gave insight on what they regularly did, and the majority talked about how they loved to travel within Europe. It is much cheaper to explore different countries while in Europe since they are all connected in the union, rather than travelling back and forth between there and the United States. I learned about how cheap their social life is, and how inexpensive food is compared to here, although nothing can beat the price of a dollar pizza. I thought it was very interesting how some of the colleges still offered courses in English to help foreign students adjust. Their methods for education were very intriguing as well, as their grades are composed of just the midterm and the final. They also offer re-sits, which is an opportunity to retake an exam if they fail. The student doesn’t need to retake the course, just the test. This makes sense in that the student just needs to study harder in order to pass/get a higher grade, yet without retaking the course, everything has to be self-taught. I look forward to studying abroad next year, although I still am not 100% sure on where I want to go.