First-Year Seminar FMA

Author: k.ho1

Baruch Voices

On November 3, I went to Baruch Voices with a few my friends. It was a bit difficult trying to figure out where it was because in the back of my mind, I knew it was at the multi-purpose room, but my friends didn’t believe me and thought that it was at BPAC or the Lawrence and Eris Field Building. We decided to check out BPAC first since it was closer to Baruch’s main entrance, but we got lost in the process of trying to get there, so we went to the multi-purpose room instead. By the time we got there, we were around ten minutes late, but thankfully the event didn’t start yet, so we didn’t miss anything. It was an enjoyable experience listening to perform their monologues. Many of them were about the same topic, which was adjusting to Baruch and starting a new life in college. Nevertheless, it was great listening to different people share their experiences, dreams, and aspirations. Some of the monologues really stood out to me. One of them was about a girl facing discrimination for being an African American. She explained how teachers were shocked to see her give correct answers eloquently because of the way she dressed, the way her hair looked, but most of all, the color of her skin. Despite this, she ignored all of the unwarranted judgment and holds herself high, proclaiming herself to be an over-achiever and an academic scholar. There was also a monologue about a boy’s hospital experience. He thought his life would be better once he left high school, but that was not the case. It was really funny because it was entirely a blunder. He kept making comical mistakes one after another, and he provided funny commentary to help everyone envision his experience. In a way, I kind of pitied him because some of the things he did were terrible to a level that should not be spoken. In the end, I had a good time at Baruch Voices. I thought it was going to be boring and dreadful, but it was a lot better than I expected.

Visiting the MoMA

Last Wednesday on October 25, I was able to go to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) with a few of my friends for free using my Baruch ID. I had never been there before, so it was an exciting experience. The only art museums I have went to were the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When I entered, I got a cute ticket with a painting of a flower on it. It was around 4:40 P.M. and the museum was going to close in almost an hour. We didn’t know where to go, but there was apparently an exhibit on the 6th floor that was limited time only, so it seemed like a good idea to go there.

The exhibit was called “Items: Is Fashion Modern?” The existence of the exhibit really surprised me because despite the fact that the MoMA is known for having modern and contemporary pieces, I expected to see paintings and sculptures. The exhibit reminded me of a shopping mall because there were so many articles of clothing everywhere. I saw many shirts, pants, shoes, suits, graphic tees, jerseys, undergarments, and cultural clothing. I was taken aback when I saw shoes from Nike and Adidas, but I realized that they fit in perfectly with the rest of the collection because of how popular they are and how seemingly everywhere wears them. Something that really stood out to me was Issey Miyake and Fujiwara Dai’s “A-Poc Queen.” Compared to everything else I saw, it was really extravagant and elegant. It filled a large area of the room with its presence. There was one big roll of textile, and it was hung across multiple nails on the wall to accentuate its length and size. The long seams of fabric being displayed was extended to a piece of clothing a woman was wearing. It was as though the woman was wearing one long continuous dress that didn’t have anything part of it sewed on. By the time we were done observing the exhibit, it was time for the museum to close and we had to go. I may have only been in there for almost an hour, but I found the MoMA to be a fun place to explore.

FUSION

I went to FUSION’s first GIM on September 7th. I first heard of them from a friend in VSA at Convocation. I asked my friend if she knew any dance-related clubs at Baruch, and she told me that FUSION has a dance team. I signed up for FUSION at Convocation without knowing anything about it other than the fact that it’s basically the Filipino club. When I went to their GIM, my initial assumption of them was wrong. FUSION is not simply just the Filipino club, but it’s Filipinos Uniting Students in Other Nations. While the club may predominantly be about Filipino culture, the club also tries to include other cultures as well. Every club will say how they’re really close like a family, which is something I wouldn’t deny, but from what I’ve seen, this statement is more evident in FUSION than in other clubs. From their intro video, to social interactions, to even their less awkward and totally bearable icebreakers, the members of FUSION are goofy, genuinely outgoing, and kids at heart. Their events, Mr. and Mrs. PI, Battle of the Barrios, Fear Factor, and FUSION Fridays, all seemed fun and collaborative enough so that each member of the club has a role to play.

At the end of the meeting, they asked if anyone was interested in joining Confusion, their dance team. I signed up immediately, and I got in without having to audition. This was mainly due to their lack of members and because it was enough for me to have prior dance experience from high school. Our first practice was on the same day from 9 – 10 PM, which seemed really late at night, but nevertheless it was an enjoyable experience. After going to the first GIM, I will definitely be attending future events and meetings.