Category: STUDENT LIFE

A few weeks ago, I attended the Hack for Baruch club. My friend invited me to go with her because we were both interested in learning coding. It seemed like a great opportunity for me to learn, so I went. The organizers of the club brought in pizza and drinks for everyone and served it before the presentation started. Everyone had to bring a computer or borrow one from the library to practice writing code together with the speaker.

The session I went to was an introduction to Java. Before starting the lesson, the speaker gave us a basic overview of the programming language and its application in business and other fields. Then he gave us instructions on how to download and setup the necessary software for his presentation. After everyone set up their software, it was time to start the lesson. We were following his instructions step by step to create certain basic commands in the web browser. At first, I didn’t understand anything about the language itself, and simply followed all his instruction. However, he also explained what each line of code meant and why it is important. This definitely helped me understand what I was doing and made me feel more comfortable with this new programming language. Everyone was free to ask any questions along the process if they didn’t understand something or had trouble executing the code. In the end of the session everyone got a chance to sign up for the newsletter and follow the club on Facebook to get updates about future meetings.

In addition to exploring the world of programming and learning Java, I also got to meet new friends at the club who are also interested in coding. Overall, I had a great experience at Hack for Baruch and I will definitely keep attending their future meetings!

A while ago I went to the Hack for Baruch general interest meeting. This was a meeting about the club here at Baruch. I  was very excited to go because I am interested in coding and technology. I want to create video games in the future, and this club could enrich me! I found out about it through the calendar on the Baruch website. It was held on the 10th floor of the New Vertical Campus building. When I got there they had Domino’s pizza for us to eat which made me kind of upset since I just ate before I went up. I know that all the other clubs order pizza for their meetings, but I was surprised to see Domino’s, because usually it comes from the dollar store across the street! When the general interest meeting started we signed up for newsletters from the club so we could get updates on events and coding lessons. The people in the club each introduced themselves and showed us the type of stuff we would do if we joined the club through a powerpoint. After they finished the powerpoint they had us talk amongst ourselves but I didn’t really have much to say and neither did the person who I was talking to. I found the club interesting and they send me emails about workshops to learn about coding. I would love to go to one of those but I really don’t have time and I feel that if I went to one now I would be really behind the group. But I hope that one day I’ll be able to join the workshops and learn something new!

As introduced in its description, the United Chinese Language Association (UCLA) at Baruch College strives to promote Chinese American awareness and an increased understanding for Chinese culture and heritage on campus. Their mission rests on four pillars; Culture, Family, Service, and Mentorship. Through these ideals, they provide a lifelong network of fellowship and community for members, bringing together the diverse student body of Baruch College and promoting an increased tolerance for diversity on campus.

On August 31st, I joined the first general interest meeting of the club. I went  with my friend Jenny. She actually was the one who brings me there. When we arrived at the classroom where the meeting was held, I was impressed by the huge amount of people waiting there. We waited along with the group outside the room for the door to open. It took about fifteen minuets. During that time period, some of the committee members approached to us and offered their warm greetings. We had talks and got to know about each other better. The process let me feel warm and welcomed to their community. This feeling intensified as we kicked off the meeting with an introduction of all the committee members, about the club and with a series of game. The overall atmosphere was extremely excited as everyone participated eagerly in games and laughter. The committee members are nice and they welcome all to be part of their family. That day ended with us leaving the room happy and relaxed form the intense academic studies.

People around the world possess different identities, characters, and personalities that make them unique. Born in Venezuela and raised in China, I grew up with uncertainty clouded in my mind, whether about my identity, or my future. It wasn’t until I finished my elementary school years in China that I realized I already had the Chinese roots planted deeply inside me. As of now, I am highly proud of my Chinese identity. It contributes to who I am today as a person. I am glad that I encountered this club in Baruch which upholds the identity I cherish.

(photo credits to UCLA)

I attended Baruch’s Latin American Student Organization’s general interest meeting on September 14th. All of the current members introduced themselves and they explained the purpose and benefits of the club. LASO strives to create strong ties between Latinos and Hispanics who attend Baruch College and provide social and academic support. They also emphasize the importance of professional development and provide services to assist in resume creation and interview skills as well as helping members find internship opportunities. I am Mexican and Puerto Rican and take much pride in my heritage; it is very important for me to find a place where I am able to talk to, socialize, and collaborate with people who I share common experiences with. Although Hispanics and Latinos come from many different countries [and islands] we tend to share similar experiences in the United States since we are categorized together. I am very politically and socially active in my own community at home and always strive to raise awareness about issues that affect people of color and would definitely want to bring those aspects to LASO; I would like to emphasize the importance of political and social consciousness and how it affects Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The socioeconomic and political aspects of our communities in essence directly affect our education or future determining how successful we will be; and I am happy to be joining a club that can serve as a platform for people from all over Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands to come together to discuss the problems we face as people of color and be able to suggest solutions.

On Thursday, September 14, I attended the Lexicon general interest meeting. Lexicon is Baruch’s student run yearbook. It is the only student run business in Baruch, which I think is very cool. This was the first club meeting that I went to. Originally, I was not interested in any clubs, but one of my friends told me about Lexicon and I decided to see it for myself. First, the members started off by introducing themselves, then they gave a power point presentation explaining what Lexicon does and the different departments. There are 5 departments: Photography, Admistration, Marketing, Finance, and Graphic Design. I did not think I would be interested in Lexicon, but I’m glad I went to the meeting bbecaus now I’m interested in the photography and finance committees because I like taking pictures, especially of the sunrise and sunset and I intend to be either a finance or accounting major. I was a commuter in high school. I did not join any clubs or organizations, went to school and then went straight home. With the two and a half hours for clubs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I hope I would be able to use this time to get involved on the campus.

On Tuesday, I visited the Delta Sigma Pi Brotherhood meeting along with my friend Dennis. I learned about it through a member who was spreading awareness of the event at the top of the escalators on the second floor.

It took a bit of the time before we could enter the room, and there were many people who were waiting outside. When we were finally let in, the room filled up quickly showing just how many people were interested. I chose to sit in the back so that I could eat my lunch peacefully. Before long however, they were offering food to all of the visitors. It was a shame that I had already finished eating since the chicken looked really nice.

Soon, several members who had recently finished their internships gathered in the front of the room and began talking about their experiences in said internships. Many of them gave useful insights as to what could be expected of us should we try searching for internships along with what we might be expected to do in the case that we do secure an internship for ourselves.

Something that really stuck with me was when the members stressed how difficult and how important it was to secure the first internship. Basically all of them agreed that it was extremely important to try and reach out to as many opportunities as possible for the first internship. The first internship is the hardest, but all the ones afterwards would be much easier according to them. When going for your first internship, they said that it was unwise to be picky about getting into a large company and that being open minded about smaller companies was important. After the first internship, getting others would be much easier.

I enjoyed my time at the Brotherhood meeting, and I am very grateful to Delta Sigma Pi for the opportunity to attend a very insightful meeting.

Pho. That was the extent of my knowledge about anything related to Vietnam, other than the fact that it tastes amazing. I went to this workshop hosted by the Vietnamese Student Association impulsively and with no expectations since this was my first club meeting at Baruch.

After stepping into the room, I noticed how the official club members/executives made sure to greet and talk to everyone in the room. Within the first few minutes I could tell the friendliness and inclusiveness in this association, especially by the smiles on their faces. I never made a spring roll in my life before, but there’s a first time for everything and September 7th seemed to be the day. It was simple (pretty similar to making dumplings): hold the rice wrapper under water for a few seconds, remove and place the ingredients (lettuce,  rice vermicelli, shrimp) on top, roll, dip in sauce, and enjoy. Although my spring roll looked more like a spring ball, it tasted delicious.

Shortly after, the first language workshop to be hosted began. A variety of teachings were presented on the PowerPoint, from greetings “xin chao” which translates to “hello” to the names of different ethnic dishes such as “com suron”. Furthermore, I appreciated how the PowerPoint consisted of the pronunciation broken down since I had some trouble accentuating the vowels without a native tongue.

The next activity was a matching game using the phrases we just learned with photos and the proper Vietnamese translation. Since I didn’t expect to be quizzed on the material, I somewhat struggled but my group finished with correct answers. Thankfully, the names of a few dishes stuck with me and looked so tempting that I’ll have to try them out next time I go to a Vietnamese restaurant.

My first meeting at VSA and Baruch taught me not only about Vietnamese culture, but also about the atmospheres and communities in Baruch’s clubs. The great vibes, laughter, food (!!), and learning made this experience enjoyable and rewarding. Additionally, these reasons go back to my goal of being a part of the community in college since I was active in high school. I’m excited to participate in more events and student life activities. 🙂

When I first heard about UCLA, the first thought that hit me was, “The university in California? Are they linked to one another like an university scholars club of any sort?” I looked up the club on Facebook, and saw that it stood for United Chinese Language Association. I was interested in knowing more, and when I met some UCLA members at the Club Carnival, I got to know what the club was and the next meeting date.

On Thursday, August 31st, I attended UCLA’s first general interest meeting, and one thing I didn’t expect was a huge crowd of people. (I counted the number of heads in the group photo, and it was approximately 100. *gasped*) The meeting started off with a powerpoint presentation about what the club entailed: values that it stood for and promoted, activities and important events that UCLA organized and showcased, as well as introduction of the members of the executive board and committee. Two of the major events that UCLA holds every year are the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lunar Festival. The goals of these two events is not only to celebrate the important holidays, but also to spread and connect the culture, tradition, and language of China with everyone.

Next, we played some games, which I forgot what they were called. The event was about half a month ago, so I didn’t remember the exact names. One game was about two teams given a scenario, in which each team played a character, taking turns asking questions and responding in question format without hesitation. There was a lot of laughter, and it showed me how relaxing and fun this club was. After taking a group photo together, refreshments were provided. 🙂

What I loved about the meeting was that the environment was very friendly and welcoming. I could imagine how everyone could be close like family in just a matter of time. I enjoyed it and had a wonderful time! About the selfie, I didn’t know we were going to writing a blog so I didn’t take one. As an alternative, I used pictures that UCLA took, credits to them.

On September 7th, last Thursday, I attended UCLA’s second General Interest Meeting. UCLA, which stands for United Chinese Language Association, was a club founded to promote and increase our understanding for the Chinese culture. Originally, I did not plan on joining this club but after a friend convinced me, I was glad I attended.

When I first arrived at the room there were already a lot of people inside. Despite how crowded it was, a member of the club still came up to me to have a conversation and asked if I had any questions and tried to learn more about me. He made me feel welcome in the community that they built.

After they introduced the members of the board, they had games ready that would involve the entire room. One of the games, Google Feud, required us to give an answer that would be the top 10 searches on Google within a category. This game allowed us to be more open and social with the people around us by making us work together. It made us feel like we were friends that gathered together to have fun.

At the end, they served food such as chicken fried rice and lo mein. During this time we were able to interact with others that are also interested in this club. It allowed me to meet many different people that were also freshman. I learned about where they came from, what they planned on majoring in, and how they felt about Baruch.

The UCLA Meeting was a time to have fun and socialize with others. Being given a two hour break in between classes for clubs gave me an opportunity that I would otherwise not have had. Instead of attending clubs, I would have been a commuter that just came to school for classes and then leave. Joining a club will allow me to be more social and become a part of a community.