Author: a.budhram

Career Workshop – Austin Budhram

Austin Budhram
Ad Hoc Career Workshop

For my career workshop, I decided to attend a workshop for Ad-Hoc majors several weeks ago. Although I’m currently a Computer Information Systems (CIS) major, I’m open to other potential majors in the business field. As a result, I saw Ah-Hoc as a way to show that I’m able to “create” my own major if I’d want to. If I don’t find something that appeals me, I’ll know that I have the flexibility to create a major that appeals to me. After the workshop leader gave us a few examples of previous Ad Hoc majors created, I had a general understanding of the requirements of such a major. Even though we were “free” to create our own major, they had to be explained, which is reasonable. Baruch has to ensure our majors aren’t a “joke”, so having us explain our reasoning allows us to gain an insight on our major, field, and the possible career it leads to. We then had several Ad Hoc major students speak on their “created” majors, ranging from science and business to music and theatre. Personally, if I were to “create” my own major later down the road, I would create a major that encompasses IT, but involves mainly the business aspect of it. Since today’s society is mainly based around the ever growing technology, internet technology (IT) poses very promising job opportunities. In addition, I learned the importance of a resume, which is an individual’s first impression to a potential employer. All in all, my visit to the Ad Hoc workshop several weeks ago showed me the importance of building a strong foundation now, in order to build upon it in the future. This long term planning will hopefully lead to success in the future. All in all, I enjoyed this Ad Hoc workshop and hope to attend more career workshops on the future (preferably resume).

Community Service Project – Austin Budhram

For my community service project, I decided to visit a favorite volunteering site of mine; The River Fund NY. The River Fund is a government agency/food pantry. From Mondays to Fridays, it served as a government benefits agency, in which individuals are able to submit paperwork for financial needs, such as social security disability (SSD) and so on. However, on the weekends, this location becomes a food pantry. Families who are financially unstable are given food items, ranging from milk, juice, bread, fruits, vegetables, and so on. At 6am, hundreds of people begin lining up for the food pantry, which goes from 7am-11am. Even though things can get very hectic, there’s no better feeling than handing out these food items to families in need. The smile on their faces and gratitude shown make all the work definitely worth it. By 7am, the dozens of River Fund volunteers begin working, as we distribute, organize, and stock the several food items, located at different locations. Since all the food items at the food pantry were donated from other locations, such as Food Bank NYC, its a first come, first served basis. At 10:00 am, the pantry is at full swing, as volunteers are rushing back and forth to ensure everything is smooth. During my most recent visit, I found myself re-stocking the shelves and distributing the food. Even though some clients don’t physically show their appreciation, it’s still a great feeling to help those in needs. In addition, everyone has their own issues, so it isn’t fair to judge one’s appreciation from their expression. By the time 12:00 comes around, the line begins to slow down. At this point, we begin to distribute less of each food items, since we’re trying to cater for all that remain on the line. At 1:00, the clean up of the pantry begins. We begin to fold the tables and tents, throw away any garbage, and sweep the entire pantry. Even though the whole process may seem very routine and boring, my fellow volunteers make the food pantry feel like home. It’s a very relaxed environment, as the founder, Swami Durga Das, emphasizes the need to accept and appreciate all. As a result, I’ve been able to call the River Fund home for the past few years. I’ve also been able to take part in several events, such as our Annual Child Poverty Awareness Day and Annual Gala Event, in which we raise money for scholarships through donations. Also, through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), I received my first job at the River Fund, in which I worked as part of the government benefits team to help families receive the help they needed. These experiences taught me to appreciate everything in life, as there are others who struggle with much more in their lives. All in all, my memories and experiences through the River Fund are some I’ll never forget. I’ll always appreciate that they were willing to give me, as a 15 year old with no experience, a chance, which is something I’ll appreciate forever.

Museum of Modern Art – Austin Budhram

A few days ago, a friend and I decided to visit the Museum of Modern Art. I haven’t been to a museum in several years, which made the experience very new to me. When attending the MoMA, I didn’t realize how crowded it would be, since we attended on a free-admission Friday afternoon. I didn’t know that admission is free on Friday afternoons, which is an admirable promotion by MoMA. Even though the place was extremely crowded, the employees at MoMA were very polite and kept the lines of people organized. The layout of MoMA was very structured, as there were five large floors filled with diverse works of art. Even though some floors did not interest me, the 4th floor stood out above all. There were works of art from various periods, including fauvism, expressionism, surrealism, and pop art. The variety of art on display gave me the opportunity to experience all that art had to offer. On the 5th floor, there was a replica of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night, which was surrounded by at least 30 people. Personally, I would have enjoyed the museum more thoroughly if there were less people in attendance.Since I had an Art History assignment based on attending the Museum of Modern Art, I expected myself to leave as soon as I found everything required. Instead, I found myself looking through the entire museum, analyzing each work of art. I critiqued the artworks based on the techniques I’ve learned in class, such as the use of colors, objects, and so on. All in all, visiting the MoMA allowed me to connect the experiences outside of the classroom to what is learned inside of the classroom. As a result, linking these various aspects of learning together allowed me to fully understand what was being taught in the classroom.