Month: October 2017

I just don’t understand art.

I know I’m “supposed” to like it and admire it for some unknown reason.

Maybe it’s a societal thing.

People say that there’s deeper meaning to it and that it helps them understand life.

 

I thought I used to understand art.

It would be these really nice and ornate paintings of famous scenes and portraits of people.

It took years to master and only the most skilled and patient artists could produce these works.

Now it’s just garbage.

 

It just doesn’t do anything for me.

I don’t see the point in staring at something and trying to understand it.

It’s a little pathetic to me, actually.

I feel that people try to find meaning in something that is sometimes very straightforward, and that is a waste of thought.

It just doesn’t make sense.

 

I don’t understand why that one canvas with three lines of paint is worth millions.

I don’t understand why that crumpled up paper in the fancy museum is supposed to mean anything.

I don’t understand why a piece of string attached to a metal ball with scotch tape is considered an object that takes an intellectual to “understand.”

I don’t understand why an old tv set playing some useless no-name commercial from the 80s is at a museum.

 

What I do understand is that these same people who try to act like there’s a profound meaning in those literally useless objects are the ones who are trying to impress others.

They feel that strolling across the museum floors with their arms crossed and their hands rubbing their chins gives off an intellectual impression to others around them.

It doesn’t.

At all.

You just look stupid when you do that.

 

Don’t do that.

 

I’m not sure what I’m trying to achieve with this rant.

Maybe I’m just annoyed at how stupid art has become.

Maybe I just don’t care anymore.

Yeah, I just don’t care.

 

Take care.

 

Actually you know what?

I might as well take this paper, crumble it up, and then write all over it with a red marker.

Maybe I could sell it to a museum and “inspire” people about some hidden meaning that isn’t even there.

Yeah, I’ll go do just that.

 

I hope you all would enjoy my “art.”

FRO Monologue

 

My transition into college has forced me to accept responsibility and to grow up faster than I had expected.

 

The transition into college has brought about many changes in my life, my family moved unexpectedly during the summer towards my sister’s job and I was forced to accept more responsibility. As a result, my parent’s jobs are a greater distance away and I find that when I arrive I am the only person in the house until late night. Along with my studies, I am now in charge of my pet dog, and I am expected to take care of her as well as stay on top of my studies.

 

The most frustrating part about college is that every small choice and mistake leads towards something larger and I find that I am now taking much more responsibility than I had signed up for. When I was in high school, I did not have to worry about waking up early enough to account for train delays or finding alternate paths towards and back from school. These would not be issues if my teachers would give us more leeway to be late.

 

I miss the days when I could come straight home and take a nap and count on someone else to wake me up. Now when I get home, I am the only one there for hours, I am responsible for staying awake so that I don’t throw off my sleep patterns. There aren’t any more home cooked meals and there isn’t anyone to wake me up in the morning. Overall, I realize that most of these problems could have been resolved by choosing a school closer to home, but I made the decision to go to a business school and now I am paying for it.

-Kevin D.

This is a haiku about the struggle keeping up with all the work.

Shoot I have work due.

Got to write a monologue.

Wow it’s due next class.

Freshman Seminar Monologue:

 

Lately, I have opened myself to a lot of new music. Before the beginning of this year, I mostly listened to rock and some EDM. However, some of my friends from high school started playing music of many new different genres. This encouraged me to start listening to all new songs and genres I never thought I’d like. For example, I have really enjoyed Kanye West’s music lately and have looked into his past music. I started to appreciate his style of music and a completely new genre.

Personally, I don’t think I would’ve discovered this new music if it wasn’t for my friends. I think it’s a good idea to have an open mind when it comes to things like music because you get exposure to new experiences you wouldn’t have otherwise gained by yourself. I can also apply this to my new love for cinematography. Lately, I have started watching a lot more classic movies as well as appreciating the acting and directing of many big names in the industry. Once again, my friends have introduced me to this and it has sparked into a new hobby of sorts.

My new love for music and cinematography is also a part of me maturing the last few years. I have noticed that I have shifted to more mature hobbies like these, rather than playing video games or other games. It also helps keep me well rounded as being open to many genres of music and film allow me to be able to express my opinions and ideas more in conversations about these topics. Hopefully in the future I learn more about these topics as there are so many great movies and songs out there.

 

 Maybe the location where I call home creates a judgement in other people’s eyes. Being a one bedroom apartment, I have to create a space where I can enjoy the same teenage life as others with their own room. As a kid, embarrassment overpowered me when in school our group had to meet up for a project. We competed against each other to go to the winner’s house. “My room has a flat screen T.V and enough room for us to do our work” ended the game, labeling them as the champion.

Going to their home, we had to take off our shoes when entering in order for the floor not to get dirty. One’s reflection could be seen on the floor. My eyes widened… It seemed like a maze of wonder, where every turn led to somewhere different. She offered many grand things, as a host of game show that offered many great prizes. Walking up the stairs that led to more rooms than I imagined, she described each rooms job. Her room consisted of her favorite singers and bands, all posted across the walls for each person to admire them as they walked in. They filled the room, also with writing of quotes she admired. The bed, something ordinary, caught my attention right away. A bed so vivid and colorful filled with her own teddy bears and things she held dear. She shared her own memories in one room, while I had to share mine with my mom and others. We went to the dining room to work on our Robotics project, but my eyes paid most of the attention to the size of the dining table. Her family only consisted of 4 members, but the table had 10 chairs. I did the math in my head about 50 times, “Did the dog also sit here,” I thought to myself. Something compared to a four-seat table in the middle of the living room, I considered this very classy. It was finally time for me to go home…

I came home to the smell of arepas burning on the pan, my mom stood there with her hands open.

“Como estaba la casa,” she asked with her joyous face as she prepared the meal. “Estaba bien,” I responded as I took five steps to the living room. “Que hicieron,” “Nothing, it was fun.” I dropped everything on the couch, as I threw myself on it. I felt in place, where I am capable of enjoying the same feeling as a person with a house. She started to bother me while pulling my hair as I watched a movie. The whole night we ate our arepas and watched scary movies, as we both fell asleep on the couch.

Yes, my home may not be picture- perfect, but the memories I shared within it makes it from something small to something greater. The joy that one shares with others in a place overpowers that of others with grand houses and solitude. What you have is what you make of it, and I made my tiny apartment into a mansion through love.

 

Daniel Gold

The Baruch writing center is a great resource that the College as so kindly provided for us. I decided to go there about a week ago. It was an interesting experience. I have noticed that there are times during the week when the walk in center is flooded and wait could be up to two hour long. However, I managed to go a more convenient time; I waited – well actually I didn’t wait at all.

I first went to the printing station to get a hardcopy of my essay so that I could look it over with a professional consultant. After printing, I walked over to the centers’ desk. The friendly woman guided me through signing up for the center online on an Ipad they supplied. It took less than 5 minutes and then I worked collaboratively with the professional to improve my writing in this essay. I sat patiently as she, the professional, read my essay over. She marked it over in a few places and then methodically went through it. She made simple corrections such as noting that I forgot to make the first letter in FaceTime uppercase. She also made note of some larger issues such as my lack for any citing. She suggested I use MLA format to quote stats and add their origin to a bibliography. I took thought into each word she said and did not leave any thoughts behind. The entire session lasted 25 minutes. After the session, she reminded me that I can always come back to the walk-in-center as well as make an appointment at the other section of the writing center which is not in the Library but is in the Vertical Campus on the 8th floor, room 185. They offer not just a close reading but also 50 minute lessons.I profusely thanked her and revised my essay satisfied with the assistance she provided. This was a great academic experience and I recommend this to everyone in the bloc.

I decided to attend a resume building event today. I thought it would be a great idea to see an advisor who could provide guidance and advice regarding my resume. As the year progresses it will be imperative for me to develop my resume in order to land a great internship or job. When I came to the STARR center, I had no idea what to expect. I was greeted by the woman at the counter and she asked me “who are you looking for?” I told her that I was looking for someone who would be willing to take a look at my resume. The advisor who helped me was very helpful and kind. She told me my resume was very good and she was impressed with my credentials. However she said I lacked community service hours. She rearranged my activities and she added things I had forgot to include. She provided valuable advice that I will not forget. I asked her whether I should include anything else and she said that I am doing well so far. She recommended that I get more involved during my time at Baruch college. She told me what clubs are the best for employers. If I land an internship or job in the future, I will be sure to come back to thank her. 

I was walking down the second floor trying to figure out three things: my purpose, my calling, and my truth. While I was seeking for these things, I noticed that my legs felt heavy, my arms were swaying against the wind, and the tapping of my footsteps fell in rhythm with my heart beat. But all of a sudden, I heard voices calling my name from within the STARR office, “Albert, Albert”. But who could this be? At first, I was pretty spooked, but I came to realize that this was my answer. This was my truth, my calling, my purpose. As I heard the keyboards typing, I knew this was where I had to be. With my resume in my trembling hands, I knew I was ready. My career was about to go “infinity and beyond” (Buzz Lightyear). I was so entranced by STARR that my friends had to forcefully drag me out for my own good. Now that I’ve developed this burning passion for STARR, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same person again.

Gabriel Kerstein

 

Today I visited a famous NYC museum known as the Tenement Museum. This museum happens to be conveniently located around the corner from my apartment, on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The building itself doesn’t really stand out, and will not immediately catch anyone’s eye, although it is kind of interesting (as far as museums go). I have personally walked right by the museum countless number of times, without giving it a look for even a second. It is an unassuming five story building right near the Williamsburg Bridge. The museum is actually pretty significant to all New Yorkers and tourists, and has added importance to me personally due to the fact that it strongly ties into modern Jewry. The museum mainly focuses on immigrants that came to New York from all over the world in search of a better life. The museum includes exhibits explaining how Chinese immigrants, Puerto Rican immigrants, and Jewish immigrants came to New York in hopes of rebuilding their lives here. The five story building crammed numerous numbers of stories about seven thousand immigrant, working class families (half of whom were Jewish) from different backgrounds. The tour involves visiting actual apartments from when the immigrants inhabited them, as well as in depth insight into the rich history of the Lower East Side. It stresses the fact that the Lower East Side was an ideal destination for immigrants due to its already growing diversity at the time. Now that I have begun my journey at Baruch, which has an incredibly diverse student body itself, it seems fitting to be living in an area with such a diverse population. I highly recommend this museum to anyone who is interested in learning more about this great city, and how diversity is one of its most interesting, and important aspects.

On October 5th the Finance and Economics society had a meeting surrounding the skills of consulting. Its purpose was to give tips and strategies to people who plan to go into consulting in the future. I went with Kelsang.

I got very nervous when I entered the room because everyone was wearing a suit and I wasn’t because I did not know that there was a dress code. This is an important lesson for life because you should always dress for success that way you’re prepared for any situation.

A lot of helpful tips were given in presentations and I learned a lot more about consulting than I anticipated. All questions were answered with very understanding responses and the members of the club were very professional. There was also free pizza which was very cool.