I would describe English as being one of my strongest classes. I have taken some of the hardest classes available in the subject and managed to get A’s. However, the first writing class I took at this school turned out to be something completely different than I was used to. I had studied poetry before, but I had not quite done things the way they were in class. The first writing assignment asked us to write about ourselves as if we were a poem. We were to describe and analyze different parts of our life. I felt confused and stuck throughout the time that I was drafting this essay. I had trouble articulating what I was meaning to say and writing my analysis of my self. Therefore, I decided to go to the writing center to possibly get some direction in terms of editing and what I would put in my essay. I went to the Newman Library on Wednesday at 1:00 for a short walk-in appointment. Since my writing was really short and I did not need 50 minutes of one on one time. I brought both a draft and the assignment sheeet printed out. I got some really interesting feedback there. They gave me pointers on how to make my analysis stronger and they even helped me refine my writing that made my essay more pleasant to read. I spent a total of 20 minutes there in the library. With the notes that I got from the writing center I felt better editing and eventually turning in my first paper. I had really high hopes for this essay because i had worked so hard on it, but I got an A-. I probably should have worked harder tbh.
Blog #2-Academic
My trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was really enjoyable, especially since it was my first time going.The museum is really far from where I live so I would always hesitate when thinking about going.However the Met was worth the trip.There was a lot of medieval gear such as armor and swords which was cool to see since i recognized this from a game i used to play, Runescape. Also i saw weapons from the time of the Ottoman empire which were very finely crafted and had many gemstones on them such as rubies.These weapons also consisted of Arabic writing,which was interesting for me since I could read Arabic. However, the writing style was ancient so I could not make out the words, only certain letters.It was also nice seeing Muslim holy books or their different kinds of architecture because i had only heard of the Muslims having a great empire extending from Spain to China.The empire lasted for hundreds of years and it was unbelievable seeing relics from that time period especially since it was the most prosperous time for Muslims and their empire.
The picture I took was with a church mosaic, which i thought was amazing since I had never been in a church before.It was very detailed and looked as if it took a long time to be crafted.The mosaic had a couple depictions of Jesus and I think of his family members.Despite not knowing many of the characters, it was still enjoyable to see and an eye- catching sight.I feel as if my trip to the museum could assist me in my first year at Baruch because I mentioned how I was unwilling to go to museums since they were far away from my house but by going i was experimenting outside my comfort zone.I think I am more willing to go to museums now and would want to check out the many museums New York City has to offer when I have free time such as the semester break.In general I think I will be more willing to go out of my comfort zone.
The Ticker (Blog Post #2)
Journalism has always been an interest of mine, and what will most likely be what my major is. I enjoy writing in general, I feel as though it is my most effective way in communicating because written communication can be revised, whereas verbal communication cannot be undone. Also, In high school I wrote for my school newspaper for some time, so once I began classes at Baruch I thought it would be a good idea to join The Ticker.
On the first day of school, I went to their “table” and got a feel for what The Ticker was and what the staff was like. What interests me most about The Ticker and Journalism itself, is that it’s an intense field. After signing up to join the staff mailing list, it reminded me how news is always happening. For days I was constantly receiving emails from different editors about what stories we should write about, and what’s currently going on that should be reported about.
Although I haven’t produced any articles yet, I’m excited to start contributing at some point once I get adjusted to college life. I feel as though now, more than ever, honest reporting is necessary in order for our society to function. But until then, I’ll just keep checking my email and reading up on the new ideas for stories.
Blog post #1 Academic
For my academic blog post i decided to go to The Rubin Museum of Art to see the current exhibition, World is Sound. When I got to the museum i already knew I liked it. There were no tourists there so the whole building was very quite. The only sound was that of meditation bowls playing throughout the museum. The sounds set a serine atmosphere while i explored all of the Hindu and Buddhist gods and goddess statues. The exhibition itself was on the very top floor. Once you arrived on the floor the sounds that were being played in the building seemed to be amplified. Designed in a sort of maze the exhibition had different sections for different forms of listening activities. These activities include walls that you can hear with your touch, a bench to lay on to hear affirmations, and my favorite is the room dedicated to the sound of om. The room of om is a sound enhancing room filled with speakers. It is meant to be a place for one to be emerged in the sound of om and even participate in the chant. It just created a space that I felt comfortable in, even when surrounded by strangers. In all the day was very relaxing and stress relieving. I walked away with a good source of knowledge. I learned in the day experience a new way to relax my mind. Knowing this is going to help me throughout my semester when i feel overwhelmed and need an outlet. The exhibition also provided a room in which one can practice meditation through the use of sound. This in particular will aid me in the long run because now i have a new way to meditate in moments of stress. In conclusion, the activity that I chose was well worth it.
Never Fail Again! the SACC
So as a premed student I have to face the thing I hate the most–which is math. Unfortunately for me, I probably should pass these math courses too, which is something I struggle greatly with. So luckily the SACC offers free lessons to help you out, so you don’t spend $40 an hour for a lesson in someone’s creepy house. Even though I’m doing ok so far in math (fingers crossed), I really wanted to ensure I was understanding everything well and getting as much practice as possible, so I attended a SACC class made specifically for my math course. One thing thats scary about college is the fact that a lot of the times you don’t have a personal relationship with your teacher, but in the SACC you are with, at most, 3 other students, so you get a personalized experience and can feel comfortable asking the stupidest of questions. The people that teach at the SACC are all students that got really good grades in the course or subject they are teaching, so you can trust them a lot more than private tutors that you pay boatloads of money for. The best part for me though, is the fact that its right in the vertical campus building! I commute from New Jersey every day and then run from work to school back to work every day, so having something so convenient is fantastic for me! And, the great part is that you can work at the SACC too!
Blog Post #1 Jacob Siri
I chose to go to the Hillel at Baruch college. The Hillel is an amazing organization where many Jews in Baruch college go to. Being Jewish, I decided to attend the Hillel after hearing how much of an amazing place it is. The Hillel was wonderful. At the Hillel we ate some food, hung out, and then learned some Torah. The Hillel organization provided pizza, which is always great. The pizza was kosher which is really helpful because I can only eat Kosher food. The Hillel opens up (on Thursdays) during lunchtime, so its an easy and accessible place to go to and get lunch. At first, when everyone got to the Hillel we all hung out and spoke to eachother. It’s a great time to get to meet new people and make some new friends. After we all finished hanging out and finished our pizza a rabbi taught us some Torah concepts. Having a rabbi there is great. The rabbi is not only there to teach us, but is also there to be a mentor and answer any questions we have, whether it’s religious based or not. The Hillel is a warm, sincere, and welcoming place. It is a great organization to have in Baruch college. The Hillel is like its own little open community for anyone who wants to attend. Having this community is so important. With everything going on in college; the classes, the teachers, the homework, and more the Hillel is a great place to turn to. It’s a great place to go to and just relax and forget about all the college stresses that are on your mind. It’s there for us to go to meet new people, learn about Jewish laws, hang out, and to have a good time. I really enjoyed my time there and look forward to going again.
Brooklyn Museum
I was late, as usual. It was chilly Saturday morning when I was making my way to the Brooklyn Museum. I was to meet up with Carl, Hibba and Sammy in front of the museum at 11 am but it was already 11:37 am and I was still on the train. Apparently, someone was fatally hit by the Q train and it was causing all sorts of delays. If there is anything I took away from that Saturday morning it was to never aim to just be on time, but to aim to be there a little earlier because no one ever knows when delays like this can happen.
My train ride to the Brooklyn Museum probably took longer then it took us to wander all five floors of the museum. My commute had put me in a pretty terrible mood for the remainder of the day so it is unfair to say that my overall thoughts and feelings for the museum were that it was quite boring. Although reflecting back at it, I wouldn’t have liked it that much even if I was in a better mood because I prefer paintings over artifacts. A reason for this is that artifacts are usually a one-sided narrative, the museum would show you artifacts like jewelry and would tell you its jewelry. There is not much else to say about the artifact. However, if a museum displays a painting, now it becomes a multi-sided narrative, because there is not one right way to interpret a painting.
This trip to the Brooklyn Museum will assist me in my first semester at Baruch College in two ways. The first being to always try to arrive early to your destination, and never just in the nick of time. The second being to never let your current mood ruin a new experience, for all you know, you might like it.
Freshman Seminar Blog Post
This past week was full of many exciting events held by the Baruch faculty and I had a lot of fun, everyone was enthusiastic and very welcoming to us freshman and of course other students as well. One event that I wasn’t even expecting was Latin Heritage month, all I saw near the student life center was a DJ and many flags and automatically I knew something was going on. At first I thought it was just another club fair because I saw the Ticker as well as the Caribbean culture club, but then my friends and I saw the photo booth and we immediately saw the Latin Heritage month Sign under the pictures. When the music started playing so did the party, we first went to attend the Model United Nations club meeting because I was really interested in joining, as soon as that was finished we went back to the student life area. My friend tried to teach me the Bachata even though I refused at first because I didn’t want anyone to see me butchering the dance, but I thought what the heck who cares. Funny enough other people joined for a little bit but then the student life hosts were starting a game called mar/tierra meaning sea/water and then students would have to jump side to side with each side corresponding to each word and it was really funny seeing some of the upperclassmen taking the game really seriously . They played the game a couple of times and it was absolutely hilarious to watch, they also had a station where they were giving out free books which was really kind and helpful. We then headed to the game room which was really cool although I learned that I am terrible at fouseball and no one should ever let me play the game again. Overall the event was great and I can’t wait to attend more.
Anime Asylum experience (First Year Seminar)
Hello everyone, I like to express my experience attending the general meeting for the Anime Asylum club on September 7 from 12:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. It’s very comforting to be surrounded by people who share a common interest/likeness as me in which we can have conversations about and in the future watch together, that is anime. In high school I would often part take in heated debates regarding plots, characters, cannon, and possible outcomes of some anime shows such as Dragon Ball Z Super, One Piece, Naurto, Pokemon, etc. with friends and it was really fun that would relieve some stress on upcoming exams. I found the Anime Asylum through browsing the clubs Baruch had to offer on their website to see if there was any clubs I would be interested in joining. I didn’t sign up for it up till the club fair in late August during the Freshmen orientation. My hope in joining this club is to form friends and have conversations through anime as I did in high school. In my first general meeting in Anime Asylum on September 7 I was able to meet members of the club as we all introduce ourselves. Stating our names, favorite anime, and what major we’re pursuing. We also saw saw some clips of Nichijou off of Youtube and chowed on some pizza while listening to anime music near the end of the meeting. I was able to have a few conversations with some members involving anime we have been watching recently. Can’t wait to get to know more of the members in this club. As I continue my journey in Baruch I hope to form friendships that’ll walk with me in this journey and perhaps beyond it as well. I will be updated in future meetings through their facebook page and email. Hope you all have fun in whatever clubs you have joined.
Peace.
Blog post
For my enrichment workshop I attended one of the Latino heritage month events. The event was during the day in front of the student life offices. It was just everyone dancing to the Latino music and everyone enjoying themselves. I really enjoyed being there and especially the music.