Month: September 2017

Choosing what club meeting I wanted to go to was a awfully big conumdrum that I had. After much thought I decided to go to the Baruch Traders general interest meeting. I decided to go to this club meeting because I have been interested in learning about trading stocks so this club seemed to be the exact thing that I was looking for. Although I thought that their would be only a couple of people at this meeting, the Wasserman Trading Floor was packed with people interested in what this club had to offer. The meeting consisted of current members explaining the premise of the club and the basics of how stock trading works. The Baruch Traders club runs a simulated stock market, and together they think of strategies to best make a profit in the simulated stock market. The club then goes to various competitions across the country to compete with other schools to see who has the best strategies to profit from the stock market. Although they only scratched the surface of the complexities of the stock market at their general interest meeting it was enough that now I want to take the time learn more about stock trading on my own. This first club meeting was a lot more different than the clubs that I had been to in high school. While in high school most clubs are only for fun, here at Baruch I noticed that many of the clubs offered not only let you meet new people, but they also teach you skills that can be very useful in your career in the future. I am very excited to continue trying more clubs here at Baruch.

For my student life requirement I decided to attend the UCLA ( United Chinese Language Association ) General interest meeting. I decided to attend this meeting because I was interested in the premise of the club and truthfully I thought it would be a quick way to get rid of my student life requirement. The general interest meeting started off with introductions from the members of the board. They were quick to introduce themselves starting with name, role, then a few quick ways in which they could solidify their “unique” personalities into our heads.

After the introductions we moved on to play some games with the people at the meeting as to get the crowd talking. We played two games If I remember correctly. The first game we played was Google Feud. We split into two teams ( the left side of the room vs the right side ) and battled it out to see who could guess the most common google searches related to the selected theme. It was fun to see the strangeness of google search results on the screen and it made it all the more enjoyable to hear people laugh and talk with each other. The next game we played was “zooooom in”, and the premise was to guess correctly the object on the screen from a close up perspective. Some were definitely impossible to guess but somehow some people in the crowd had figured it out. My only guess was that they were cheating. They just had to be…

When all the games were concluded they brought in food and everyone just stood around eating and talking. Overall I had a good time and everyone was extremely friendly making it more appealing to stay after school and be active at Baruch. 

The Hillel at Baruch is probably the single most important aspect of Baruch to me. Hillel clubs, nationally, are in most universities to give Jewish people on campus a sort of home base. They offer kosher food everyday, daily afternoon prayer services, and most importantly, it is a social meet up spot to meet and hang out with some other Jews on campus. Having the ability to walk into a club and be greeted with open arms to talk about anything whether it is academics, religion or social struggles you may be encountering is amazing. I have heard nothing short of excellent things about Hillel at Baruch and I wanted to check it out for myself. When I first walked in, I immediately saw four familiar faces. I then proceeded on to meeting two or three new people. I became pretty good friends with one of them as well as study in depth about our religion with him once a week after school. When I have a long break in between classes, I will almost always go to the third floor to see if I recognize anyone going towards the Hillel. The Hillel at Baruch is unique and inspiring for Jews who come to Baruch. The feeling you get knowing you always have a place in the building to eat, socialize, pray and just chill is always heartwarming.

To tackle the student life requirement for the blog post, I decided to go to a student club. The first meeting was riveting, compelling and informative. At first I was hesitant to attend, in my brain I connected Unicef with the little orange boxes that people throw spare change in. I thought that the boxes could not possibly help anyone and where not enough to be acknowledged as a club.For me, I thought it was the similar to donating and it would not suffice my urge to help people. Thankfully my friend coerced me to go. That meeting was an eye opener. It started simple enough, we were put into groups and had to do some icebreakers.The group started small but, all of a sudden, it felt like people just kept pouring in. Towards the end of the icebreaker, the room was full and everyone was attentive to what the presentation  was said. We watched a video that demonstrated that Unicef is more than just orange little boxes. They take part of a bigger picture, helping children go to school, get food and vaccinations. Just 10 dollars could provide 300 packets of Micronutrient Powder to help children become stronger during their development. Change does not occur with one person, so that little box might not be a game changer. Yet, if we all help the school get involved and join the club we can make an impactful difference in the lives of children in need. This club has captured my attention and I look forward to attending real meetings and possibly being part of Unicef@Baruch.

Hey everyone! These last couple of weeks have been super hectic for me. But fortunately this Sunday I had some time to myself and got to visit the Whitney Museum. I’ll admit it, I am a sucker for art. I haven’t been to the Whitney for some time, so I was excited to see the new installations and exhibits. Since I had no idea what was on display, I was in for a big surprise. I’m sure that many of you know about this iconic museum, however for a brief overview, The Whitney Museum was founded in 1931 by art patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (hence, the name).  It sits at the very end Manhattan’s High Line, making it a huge tourist attraction for anyone that visits. But aside from its’ great balcony views, the Whitney is filled with gems of history from artists around the world and their deep and enriching works. Even if modern art isn’t your taste, a place like the Whitney is a must-see for anyone stopping in the Meatpacking District.

So let’s start my journey! To be honest, I had absolutely no idea with floor to start on. So I’d thought I’d just work my way from the bottom to the top. Thankfully when I arrived to the Whitney, it was barely even crowded. The perfect opportunity to analyze art without masses of people.

I’ve always been a bit judgemental modern art and its’ scheme of making viewers over analyze it. Sometimes you find the most absolutely craziest things on display in museums. A blank canvas could be displayed in the MoMa but it would apparently have some deep background. I arrived to the 5th floor, entirely devoted to the work of a Brazilian artist named Helio Oiticica. Oiticica is one of the most notable artists of the 20th century for his style of which forces the viewer to engage with some of his works. I was absolutely mind boggled of the installations done by the Whitney for these pieces. I walked bare-feet in sand in order to examine his large-scale work called Eden. Eden takes you into a world where one can engage with your own senses. For example, small tents for relaxation, bins filled with books, palm trees everywhere, even a tent to bathe in. It  felt like I was in Lord of the Flies. I was trapped on island as I walked through the pieces, with no touch of reality. It gave me these euphoria of inner peace which truly achieved the main premise of this work.It makes you almost want to sit down and stay there forever.

Then I ventured off the other parts of the floor where I discovered even more simulations by Oiticica. I was lured into a room with a rhythmical drums that could be heard in the distance and a screening of traditional Samba dancers of Brazil. For those of you who might not know what Samba is, it’s a popular genre of Brazilian music with heavy African origin, most notable for its’ fast rhythmical beats. However in this installation, the viewer was encouraged to wear parangolés, or the traditional Samba fabrics worn by dancers. The word is slang in Brazilian for a confusing or aggravating situation. But Oiticica again encouraged the viewer to participate in wearing the garments. So of course, I took the opportunity.

 

In this case, these fabrics are meant to be a bit confusing for the viewer at first, hence the origin of the name. I noticed the variations of the fabrics, some had abstract words or symbols. After doing some research, I came to learn later on that these layers of the clothing could be only visible if the Samba dancer was dancing. Hence, it became an outlet for those to give subliminal political messages to audiences. Nice work, Brazil.

After that, I somehow ended up laying on a hammock in a pitch black room as Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile” played in the background. I found that later on that Oiticica was a huge fan of Hendrix and much of the rock music from the 60s and 70s. It most notable had a big impact on his work in which he integrated the music into these large scale pieces. For what reason? I don’t even know. I highly doubt it was for any artistic reason, but for the fact that it’s really good music. However, I assumed that this type of music was used not just because of the time being, but since it was the pinnacle of avant-garde music, or in simpler terms, psychedelic. Musicians began to give a new sound to rock n’ roll by experimentation with instruments and a bunch other things that I don’t need to explain. That being said, perhaps the breakthrough of this new type of music seemed to resonate with Oiticica’s unusual artwork, therefore being the perfect thing to play in the background. Ultimately, It gave me nostalgia to an era I was never a part of.

Finally, I’m so excited to tell you about my favorite part of the exhibition, the Incomplete History of Protest. From 1940 to the present, the exhibition displays powerful work influenced by from various times of turmoil and political change. It makes you realize how powerful art is. People may not realize this but art is a universal thing that we can all interpret. Way back when it was common for people to be illiterate, art was the universal language so that anyone could understand it.  Who said you can’t make a political statement without words or actions?  So if you guys want to know a little more about me, I am very passionate about being politically active. I marched this past week in order to raise awareness for the DACA ban. In case you don’t know, Trump has pushed to revoke DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program created during the Obama era to allow Dreamers who had entered this country illegally at a young age not threatened for deportation. As a Latina and daughter of immigrants, I’m very passionate about this issue, along with many others that affect my community. However, I like to consider myself an activist not for just my community, but as an inter sectional activist, for any person I believe deserves justice at large. That’s pretty much my whole liberal spiel.  As for the art I saw, I was able to embark on a journey of different civil rights movements. From feminism to the AIDS epidemic, I was able to see authentic work of artists bringing light to these issues through their pieces.

I felt like a little kid in a candy store except I was wandering and looking at all these political statements that were so important for their time. It’s quite empowering, to think that there was someone years ago trying to enforce change like what you’re doing now In this day and age with our ever-so polarizing country, I’m glad that exhibits like this one are shedding light to underlying issues in our country. Also, that we as a society can look back on our problematic history to make ourselves aware of our mistakes. And to hopefully not to make them again.

In short, I had a great time at the Whitney. It’s refreshing to do things on your own once in a while and to be able to admire the things that the human mind has given birth to. This was definitely the most fun I had visiting the Whitney, it makes me want to create a museum solely to interactive art because it’s truly so exciting. With that, I’m excited to read your posts and experiences! Thanks for reading, I’ll see you all soon!

-Tiana Ruiz

On Thursday September 7th I attended a UNICEF@Baruch club meeting. At first I was skeptical about joining a club that I knew little to nothing about, but as soon as I walked into the room, I was greeted by the club president Emre. He explained to me how he too was skeptical when joining UNICEF@Baruch. After introducing himself to everyone Emre explained to us what UNICEF@Baruch is really all about. He told us that we as college students can play an extremely important role in protecting the rights of children around the globe. Just a few of the amazing things UNICEF does to aid children around the globe; they provide for children who normally can’t provide for themselves by giving them everyday  household essentials that we take for granted, they provide them with education, and they treat children to the equality they deserve. At Baruch we can assist by raising awareness, advocating, and fundraising for UNICEF. This club is assisting me in my first semester at Baruch by broadening my horizons and teaching me that not every person I run into in the world will be as privileged as I am, and have been brought up the same way I was. For me, a typical hardship of life is my phone dying, but for some children in the world it can be as extreme as walking 10 kilometers to the nearest clean body of water. I am glad I attended the UNICEF@Baruch club meeting.

On thursday, I mustered up enough courage to join a club, which is something that’s typically out of my comfort zone. I was nervous because I figured most of these people were already familiar with each other and had a set foundation for how everything was run, but I knew that if i wanted to get to know people in a new school I’d have to reach out. I chose G.L.A.S.S, the gender love and sexuality spectrum club, because I knew going into it that it meant a lot to me and would give me a safe space to not feel out of place and to feel comfortable and embraced. This would be  a club that would allow me to represent myself and certain people in my life, and not only would I be educated on the struggles of the LGBTQ community, but I could share all of that knowledge with others, and help them to understand what our community stands for. When I was heading over, I was so anxious that I contemplated not going at all, but I knew that if I avoided that opportunity then and there, that I’d probably just avoid it completely. I missed my train so I was 25 minutes late to the first meeting, but even though i walked in late and was super clumsy and awkward – later becoming the center of attention, I was greeted with smiles, and I knew that this was an understanding group of people. The people who helped run the club all introduced themselves and we played a series of icebreakers to get to know each other, and my nerves had gone down because I was genuinely enjoying myself. Within that hour and a half, I knew I had made a choice that was going to going to make my time in college more exciting and comfortable than I had expected. 

 

Isaac Sued                                                                             My Experience at the MoMAOn Friday September 8, I went to the Museum of Modern art. It was a little crowded but I dealt with it, I enjoyed how clean and modern everything was even the coat check looked nice. I saw art pieces from a variety of different artist like Van Gogh, Dali, and Andy Warhol, those were basically the only artist I knew. I’m not such an art guy. As I was walking through the museum I realized that anything really; can be art and if some random guy can make a couple of floating chairs connected to metal beam be art that is worth tens of thousands of dollars why can’t I. Then I said to myself that this art piece wasn’t this guy’s first piece of art he must’ve worked himself up in the art community or worked really hard to get himself where he is now, so that really made me think that if you want to be successful it’s on you working hard and its on you getting your stuff done no one else is going to do it for you. There was something else that also got my attention, there was this area which I thought was for kids, but wasn’t it was an area for people to be their own little artist. There was Legos, blocks, clay, putty, everything you can think of, I think the museum wanted people to get influenced and inspired from all the art pieces you’ve seen throughout the museum and then come to these little stations to build whatever you please. The picture above is me with a helicopter that was floating in the middle of the museum witch I thought was very cool. As I walked out I saw I line and at the end of the line there was a lady that worked at the museum handing out tickets for free, I came in from the other entrance not knowing tickets were free, I had to buy my ticket.

A couple of weeks ago, my family had the opportunity to make a visit to the Museum of Modern Art. Unfortunately I was busy, so I didn’t get the chance to go with them. However, when I found out I could attend an exhibition offered at a New York City museum for my first-year seminar blog post, I realized that gave me the perfect chance to go the Museum of Modern Art and see what I missed. On Wednesday, September 6, after finishing my two morning classes of the day at school, I took the 6 train to the 51 Street subway station, and walked a couple of blocks to the Museum of Modern Art.

When I got to the Museum of Modern Art, I first had to wait like fifteen minutes on a really long line just to check in my bag. That was definitely not the highlight of my day. Anyways, after I was finished checking in my bag, I got to go upstairs and explore the museum. Naturally, because the museum was very big with a lot of floors, there was a lot of art I was able to see. My favorite piece of art would have to have been the sculpture “Canyon,” which was located in the Robert Rauschenberg exhibit. Rauschenberg’s “Canyon” was a sculpture of a stuffed eagle sticking out of a canvas. I thought it looked cool and Rauschenberg did a good job with it. Another piece I liked, which I can’t quite remember the name of, was one where two artists made their own separate pieces of art, and just combined them together to form one thing. I think that shows unity among people which I think is a great thing. My visit to the Museum of Modern Art was very nice, and I definitely won’t pass up the chance to go the next time I’m asked.