Month: September 2017

On September 12th, I attended the brother panel Delta Sigma Pi even which consisted of current member of the co-ed business frat talking about their experience with the frat along with the work experience they have had. Many of them had wondered into a Delta Sigma Pi GIM event early on in their college career not expecting to go as far as they did in their professional career. This was very inspirational to me because they all had this strong work ethic which had brought them to all this great internships. It was also interesting to hear how their internship experience helped them to pick their major because it allowed to get their feet wet in that specific field. This gave them a general idea of what they liked and what they wanted to pursue. They all gave great advice in terms of how we should approach looking for jobs, how we should spend our time wisely, and how beneficial DSP can be in ones friendships and professional lives. All in all, this event was extremely informative and made me really passionate about wanting to join this businesses frat. 

This picture was taken after our victory against Sarah Lawerence in the Yonkers. Being a student-athlete is not a walk in the park. I truly underestimated the time and energy that it would take out of me. I wake up in the morning around 6 a.m. , go to classes, go to practice until about 7 , get home around 9 and still have to do work for the next couple of days. I have truly been drained of all my energy. However, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am also apart of SAAC or BAC, which helps me get more acquainted with the school and helps me develop my leadership skills.

Today I visited the ARC or the athletic recreation complex. The ARC is full of many fun activities students can partake in between their classes. Such activities include basketball, racquetball, and a gym. While I was there I went to the basketball court which was packed with about fifty students all waiting to play. There were two main hoops in the center of the gym were people play four vs four and four side hoops that people were shooting around on while they were waiting. During my stay at the main gym I was able to play four games and at the same time meet many new people that share a common interest or hobby as me.I went with Nick and Aidan we all went to the basketball court played basketball and meet many new people

. While visiting the ARC I knew this was going to be a place that I will frequent a lot as an athlete and as a student.  

At the Latinx student event, we painted molas which is a custom of the indigenous people Kuna. This was the second event that I attended, along with the NABA general interest meeting. During both meetings i learned information. In the Latinx event i learned about culture and customs foreign to me, whereas in NABA i learned about scholarship opportunities and different ways to earn internships. I enjoyed both events but NABA’s event stuck with me the most. Attending both events was worth my time, and i was able to get a feel of the social and academic aspects of the college student life.

On September 7th, during block hours, the Association of LatinoProfessionals for America, Dominican Students Association, Ecuadorian Club, and Latin American Student Organization all came together to commemorate the beginning of Latinx Heritage Month. The lobby on the second floor of the Vertical Campus was swarming with students of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Food, music, and even a photo booth was provided by the aforementioned clubs. Members from each club interacted with the students; giving in-depth explanations about the clubs and their activities; engaging in conversations about our culture; and dancing with the students to different genres of Hispanic music. Overall, the enthusiasm and welcoming demeanor of each of the clubs left me wanting to potentially join one.

On September 9, 2017, I visited the Baruch College Muslim Student Association (MSA). I was invited by my close friend Tanzid. Upon entering the room, I felt very welcome by many of the Muslim brothers who were there to either pray, study, or simply pass time. We attended a meeting that discussed the events being held on campus. The MSA holds weekly Quran classes, group prayers, and a lot more programs.

This group connects the Muslims of Baruch regardless of gender and age. People of other religions are even welcome to enjoy the tranquil environment. During my visit, I noticed many people entering the MSA room to meditate in the quiet, calm area. I also made many new friends and saw many old faces. This is surely one place I will definitely visit a lot.

Yesterday I went to the ARC with my friend Glen. During club hours the ARC allows people to participate in athletic activities such as basketball, handball, and swimming.

Me, Glen, and Nick went to play basketball in the school’s gym. We started off having to wait for a little while to play, as there were a good amount of people already waiting to play in the 4 on 4 game, along with the few hoops to the side that some people were shooting around at. While Glen went over and played in the four on four game, me and Nick went over to shoot around at one of the side hoops. I’m not too confident in my ability to play in a game (in other words I suck at basketball), so simply shooting around a hoop was something more my pace. However, even though I’m not that good of a basketball player whatsoever, I still enjoyed the environment of playing with a bunch of other Baruch students of all grades, and it is something I absolutely intend to do in the future.

On Tuesday, September 12th, Raquel and I went to the General Interest Meeting (GMI) for Alpha Phi Omega. I didn’t really know a lot about APO going into the meeting but definitely left with a real interest in the organization.

The meeting started a little late, but the recruitment chairmen Amy Chen and Kifayat Huda made up for it. They both lead a seamless powerpoint that really spoke wonders to the co-ed fraternity, whose motto I learned is “be a leader, be a friend, be of service”. Amy could attest that APO taught her and Kifayat how to speak in public, and helped them not only develop their leadership skills but other soft skills. This had me hooked, leadership qualities can always be improved as well as our soft skills.

Then they began to speak to the service pillar, the most important one. They do everything from the AIDS walk to working at food pantries, which is both a humbling and motivating experiences. Having done volunteer work for St. Jude’s for many years, I knew that this is something that I not only wanted to do, but would enjoy doing. At the end, I knew that I could seriously consider seeing myself ‘rushing’ for APO!

Today during my lunch break, I had a chance to attend this Latinx Heritage Month event with one of my friends, Mayer, here at Baruch College. This event was quite interesting for the both of us since we made new friends and learned fascinating things. We were greeted by the kind organizers of the event for our sign in, and eventually invited to eat a few snacks. While eating we had a chance to listen to a guest speaker, Miguel Trelles, who spoke about certain people of Panama named the Kuna. He spoke about their tradition, mainly about their form of art called the Mola. This form of art originated from women painting wonderful designs on their bodies, and its popularity soon brought it to clothing! We even had a chance to paint a bit and make our own “Mola.” Overall, this event was fun to attend and I look forward to many more in the future.