Freshman Seminar Fall 17 DWC

As pictured above, you can probably guess that these images were taken at the Museum of Modern Art most commonly referred to as the MoMA. Last week, Saima and I decided to go on an adventure at the MoMA. We discovered that the MoMa has a collection of 200,000 pieces of abstract, modern and contemporary art. There were many interesting paintings by famous artists like Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst and even the famous painting of “The Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh. “The Starry Night” was one of my favorite paintings. It was surreal for me to see the authentic painting in real life because when I used to be in elementary school there was always a poster of this painting on the walls and to finally be able to see the original thing is quite amazing. It takes me back to my childhood and being in the art class. It is very nostalgic! My favorite section of the museum was the “ITEMS: IS FASHION MODERN?”. In that section, the best artwork in my opinion was A-POC Queen Textile by Issey Miyake and Fujiwara Dai in 1997. Miyake and Dai’s artwork was supposed to show a system in which clothing was being self-produced by mass production and conventional textile production. It was very fun and interesting to explore all the art galleries and exhibits in the museum with Saima. We were even able to capture some artsy photos. Overall, a very nice experience and one of my favorite museums I’ve been to. I would a 100% recommend the MoMa to anyone.

For my second blog post I joined the bap club. Its a club that consist mainly of students with majors in business related areas such as finance, accounts and economics. My first day experience at the club meeting was a ice breaking day, where we played various games that allowed us to find out a few interesting things about each other. We then started to discuss about the goals and aims of the club, one of which was creating linkages and opportunities for our members so as to help them achieve their individual goals in their respected areas of study. One of the main reasons why I joined this club was that they shared my values and goals and that I think they would provide a useful network for me as I progress in my career which would be beneficial and create new opportunities. Also the atmosphere during the club meetings is one of excitement at the thought of being surrounded by equally enthusiastic people who have the same interests and goals as you which allows the sharing of knowledge and experiences especially from the older members of the club. I also hope to inspire other new members of the club when I become a senior member of the club as the current ones do.

On Wednseday, October 4th I went to go visit the Hillel at Baruch. Ive been there in the past, but I never took a selfie there, because why would I until I realized I needed one for my Freshman Seminar blog post. My first time there they were extremely friendly and were very welcoming. Why did I take a selfie near the menorah,a sacred candelabrum with seven branches used in the Temple in Jerusalem, originally that made by the craftsman Bezalel and placed in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle (Exod. 37:17–24), you might ask? One of the points of the Hillel is that Jews can feel comfortable with expressing there Judaism in a safe environment. Every year during December time Jews celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah, a lesser Jewish festival, lasting eight days from the 25th day of Kislev (in December) and commemorating the rededication of the Temple in 165 BC by the Maccabees after its desecration by the Syrians that is marked by the successive kindling of eight lights. Im looking forward to revisiting the Hillel during December time and lighting the candles during the festival of lights. I cant wait to check out more clubs and activities here at Baruch College.

The picture shown below is the Muslim Students Association, this club is an organization which talks and informs other races about the religion of Islam. They said that you can join this club no matter what your religion is, all are welcome because it’s a safe space to talk and let out your thoughts and concerns. I learned that this club is a combination of three clubs, one being a general club for the muslim community students at baruch, another for girls only where they are able to talk to each other for advice regarding anything and lastly another one to help the muslim student community with business related topics and workshops. This club is very big and open to new members, I liked the group leaders because they were very welcoming and friendly. However, I would not join this club because I am more interested business related club such as marketers of baruch or clubs which require more involvement and fun activities/events at Baruch. I am willing to learn about other clubs also, to see if I have interest in them.

 

 

 

 

 

For my first blog post I went to the Metropolitan Museum with my friends. From the start, we were immersed in very ancient art and pottery. I wasn’t very interested in those parts because it wasn’t really focused on a specific time or place, it was just general for me. Also, it reminded me of middle school when they used to take us to the Met in yellow busses wearing school uniform. Things were different now though, I was much older now and I actually have an interest in art now. We then moved on to the more interesting Greek sculptures and sword/armor exhibits. In this part of the museum we could see how beauty and death were dealt with in the older ages. It was quite awe inspiring. I found this part of the museum to be more enjoyable for me. I will definitely be returning to the Met and other museums because each time I go, it’ll be a different experience.

This past Friday, I visited The Museum at FIT, which is located on West 26st. The museum displayed their newest collection, drawing inspirations from the nature. The collection is called Force Of Nature, which included a diverse range of clothing pieces from the Victorian era to modern day designs. The collection had designer pieces from Alexander McQueen, and I was surprised to see it. The exhibit was dim with minimal light beaming at the fashion pieces, and bird chirping sounds would pervade the exhibit occasionally, it gave off a very calming and soothing feel. Although it was interesting to see a blend of natural science and fashion, the exhibition was limited due to the small amount of pieces being on display.

 

On Friday I went to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology and I have to say, I left feeling a bit disappointed. The theme of the exhibition was ‘The Force of Nature’and while I enjoyed the backstory of all the pieces, the main thing that bothered me, was how small the museum was. You could get through the whole thing (while reading every single description) in less than half an hour. Maybe that’s my fault for not doing enough research beforehand, but I definitely expected to see a lot more ensambles. That being said, I did enjoy the pieces, that were featured, themselves. Even though there weren’t that many outfits presented, the diversity (in color schemes, patterns, styles, fabrics used and eras, which they mirrored) was quite outstanding. Personally, I didn’t really focus on how the artists implimented the theme in their works, but more on how each piece was created and how it made me feel. A lot of the times I wouldn’t even notice how the theme was implimented at first, because I would be so stunned by the outfit itself. In general, while I did expect much more from the museum, I definitely do not regret going and seeing the exhibition. Fashion has been a new intrest for me, so that was a great start to something that will hopefully play a bigger role for me later on. 

On September 7th I went to the General Interest Meeting for the Baruch chapter of She’s The First. She’s the First is a nonprofit organization that focuses on Girls’ education around the world. They give girls in third-world countries the chance to be the first girl in their families to graduate high school and beyond. The Baruch chapter was put together only last semester, so it was very exciting to see so many people wanting to get involved. SIF raises money to fund education through various events. Getting involved in SIF is very important to me because ever since I was little I’ve been a feminist, even if it was just rooting for the girls’ team. Now that I’m older, I understand the privilege I have, even as a girl, having been born and raised in a country that takes everything for granted. I want all girls to be able to have an education that lets them rise to their full potential. I look forward to helping that become reality in the years to come.

I have decided to visit the 9/11 memorial. Since this college is in the heart of NYC, I believed that an event like 9/11 is very important in the history of NYC. This event marked a time of struggle and horror, but also unity amongst everyday New Yorkers. Remembering an event like this is important becuase it set a good example of how New Yorkers really

At the memorial, I got to see images and videos of the events that happened on 9/11. I got to the see faces of ordinary people and how they reacted in this tragic event. It was evident that people were united and willingly offering assistance to those who needed. Any conflict between fellow New Yorkers was halted during the event and every become allies. Seeing this in the video made me realize how New Yorkers are kind at heart during low times. Many might argue that Islamaphobia was a problem during these times and the years that followed however I am going to say that out of my 18 years in New york, I have never experienced hatred toward me simply due to my religion (and neither have any of my family members). I came to a conclusion that in my opinion, this shows the well develped moral character in New Yorks that allowed this to happen.

This assisted me in Baruch becuase everyone was kind and offered assistance to me when I needed it. I wasn’t affraid to ask. This easily helped me get my foot throught the doors of college life. Teachers were ready to answer any of the questions especially though email, in which teachers responded immediately. I hopefully would learn to carry the respect I have recieved to other people I meet throughout my years at Baruch.