I attended Baruch Voices on Thursday, which was a performance of multiple monologues written by first-year seminar students. These monologues were the best from each FRO section. When I entered room 1-107, where the performances were taking place, I recognized other students from my freshman seminar class also present. In fact, the picture I shared is one I took with JJ, Ryan, and Ben who I share most of my classes with. After the majority of the seats were filled out, we were asked to swipe in and shortly afterwards the performances started. The very first monologue shared was by a Sikh American who shared his experiences about being judged and discriminated against. He mentioned about his treatment after 9/11 and even being called Osama. His monologue was very passionate and serious and he ended it with an encouragement for everybody to unity strongly and fight these problems. Belonging to a misunderstood minority myself, I was able to empathize with the message of his monologue. Many monologues were about starting college, some the first day of school. I could relate to all of them. Everyone seemed to share the same nervousness and anxiety about going to a new school with few acquaintances. My own monologue was about my feelings and rush on the first day of school. One student’s monologue was about coming to Baruch by himself. He said he was alone, as there was nobody else from his high school also attending Baruch. The word goodbye was mentioned numerous times throughout his monologue, as if to stress the student’s loneliness. He said college is a new journey, a new chapter in his life, similar to his first day of high school. He said he became a better individual by the end of high school, and hopefully the same will occur when college finishes. Overall, all the monologues shared were ones I could personally understand, as they were typical emotions and experiences of first year students at Baruch, or really any college. Attending Baruch Voices made me realize I actually am not alone and that everybody was just as lost as I was in the beginning of the year. I am glad I decided to attend Baruch Voices and learn about this connection we students have.
Baruch Voices
