I attended an Internship seminar in the Starr career center. Michael Kalish did an amazing job at breaking down the definition and process of internship. He explained how internships, or pre professional work experience, can be paid, unpaid, or credited. Paid internships are more common in business world, but that business has to pay at least min wage which is 11 dollars right now but by December 31, 2018 minimum wage goes up to 15 dollars per hour. Many businesses have exploited interns and there are many cases of lawsuits on big businesses who have exploited unpaid interns.
A lot of the PowerPoint was geared towards juniors and senior or those that are already in one of the Baruch schools. However, he talked about a zero credit internship course, which is a pass fail course that mocks a real credited internship for a student who is not in one of the three Baruch schools. This is one thing that I definitely want to learn more about because it would give me the ability to explore my desired working field before really being in that field.
Talking more with people from the career center really made me want to focus more on making a plan for my future. Even though I’m a freshman, I do have really big plans for myself but i just have no way to organize or plan for them. I would not even know where to start. However, the career center really helped me organize myself and this made me want to meet with them more. I feel like the earlier i get started the less anxious I am going to feel later on as a junior or senior getting ready for grad school.
Author: Tatiana Bonner-Varchola
Fresh Meet
Since school started, I was looking forward to joining a club. I have been increasingly interested in black culture and history being that it directly effects me. So, I thought Black Student Union would be a supportive group of people to be around during my college career. They emailed saying they were have a “fresh meet” where old and/or new club members could meet and refresh. 
I walked into the lecture hall followed by a swarm of boys who all went to sit in the same section. I was by myself, so I made myself comfortable in the back. I was nice seeing a room full of minorities that were all pursuing their education. this gave a a sense of hope for myself in a stressful, and competitive environment like Baruch. All of the club members were very enthusiastic about their culture, you could tell that they’ve build a strong bond and legacy at school. The school spirit really showed.
I watched a bunch of presentations and slideshows for other cultural groups that were interesting but I was really just waiting for BSU. One of the members of the Latino Student Union actually came and introduced himself to me. He probably thought I was spanish like most people do, but it made me feel welcome even though it wasn’t his club I wanted to join. I liked how all of the smaller club create a bigger community on campus that you can tell, even in just one meeting, is full of passion and encouragement.
When BSU made their presentation, I learned a lot about clubs and how they work. It really isn’t just a group of people that hang out together. there are certain roles and certain responsibilities that you have to dedicate yourself to. It was a bit daunting to me. I wanted to be involved, but on top of school work and a new learning environment, I knew I was not ready for that kind of commitment right now. However, I talked with a couple club members afterward and they told me about events that I could attend, introduced me to people I could talk to, and told me about places I could hang out if I wanted or needed to. They were all extremely friendly and very helpful, I really enjoyed myself.
I followed the BSU Instagram page to keep up with current events and history inside of school and out. I intend to join the club at some point in the near future, when I feel more grounded on campus.
Visiting the Tenement Museum
My friend, Katya (who also goes to baruch) and I visited the Tenement Museum in the lower east side of Manhattan. I have been wanting to go to this museum for a while now because I have always been interested in the history of New York City. I grew up in lower Manhattan so I always have a place in my hear for past generations that have shaped my home into what it is today. We heard heartbreaking stories about the horrible living and working conditions that the thousands of Jewish immigrants and working class citizens had to endure throughout the 19th century. For example, there were women who lived and worked in these so called “homes” so that the manufacturers would not have the cost of a factory. This was even before buildings like the triangle shirtwaist factory, which despite the size, still had very harsh working conditions. We were standing in very house on Orchard street that those immigrants lived and sewed in to make a living. They worked 10-12 hours a day, six days a week without a break. This was the only way women could be semi-independent in a patriarchal society.
It fascinates me most how a part of the city that used to be ridden with poverty and grime, is now a highly progressive, gentrified neighborhood that is thriving with coffee shops, boutiques, and bars. This is one of the only buildings that is a constant reminder of the history of New York City. Now every time I walk past the Tenement building on my way to work I think about not only, making an example for working class, independent women, but also about studying more about the history of my city. Almost every street i walk down has its significance and I would love to learn more about preserving that.