The first step of the Community Service Project was, of course, selecting an organization for which to volunteer. This could have been a very difficult and time consuming process since there are so many great organizations out there. Fortunately, one day during Freshman Seminar we went to the library and discussed with one of the librarians two different websites we could use to research organizations. We found our organization, The Pajama Program, on Idealist.org, one of the two websites discussed. The library significantly simplified the choosing process, and I realized just how useful a resource the library is. Since then, I have used the library multiple times for research. I have especially utilized the Newman online database. This is a great resource because it contains many scholarly journal articles that are good to use for research essays.
While I have not joined a club, I have been to presentations made by a few of them, including the Actuarial Science club and the Baruch Hillel. By going to multiple club meetings I get to really figure out what appeals to me and what clubs I might want to get involved in during my time at Baruch. Although I did not join a club this semester I will definitely join one next semester.
Like I mentioned in my previous journal entry, when I was in elementary school I always viewed volunteering as a responsibility rather than an opportunity. Although my views on the subject had already changed by the time I was in high school, the Community Service Project reaffirmed for me how important and rewarding it is to give back to the less fortunate. It has encouraged me to continue volunteering in the future, even after my requirement is complete.
Although I am not sure where specifically I will be three years from now, the tools I have acquired and the valuable lessons I have learned during my first semester at Baruch give me confidence that it will be a good, successful place.

Growing up I never really got involved in community service. I realized that it was important, but I just kept pushing it off. I justified my inaction by telling myself I had too much work, or that even if I did not help others, somebody would. I guess that I always thought that volunteer service was a positive activity, but that it was not my responsibility. This mindset changed when I got to high school. My high school required that every student perform at least fifteen hours of community service per year. At first I was a bit upset. Fifteen hours seemed like a lot, and my old excuse of having too much work resurfaced. I also did not really know what to get involved in. Even if I did need to fulfill my requirement, I did not know how to go about it. Fortunately, in middle of ninth grade, my Biology teacher approached me, and asked me if I wanted to participate in the school’s Peer Tutoring society. Although this was the first I was hearing about it, she persuaded me into helping another student who was struggling in Algebra. I thoroughly enjoyed tutoring him, and I continued to be involved in the Peer Tutoring society for the rest of my high school career.

Besides for helping me fulfill my community service requirement, volunteering in the Peer Tutoring society taught me what I failed to realize earlier; volunteering is my responsibility. I think that the atmosphere of the Baruch Honors program really reinforces this idea by ensuring that we complete a community service requirement. However, even though it is mandatory, I am sure that I will learn an important lesson from this volunteer project, just like I did from my last one.

My name is Meir Wieder. I grew up on Long Island and went to an all Jewish high school called The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County. Because my high school was a very insulated environment, and everyone from the school came from similar backgrounds, I have never really had a chance to learn about other cultures. One of things I hope to do at Baruch is to learn about other students’ cultures and ways of life, and see how their experiences are similar to, and differ from, mine. I think that this greater understanding of others’ will allow me to better relate to them, and enable me to become a more informed and successful person. In addition, like any other college student, my primary goal for the first semester is to do well in my classes. So far they do not seem too difficult, but I know that I will have to work harder than I did in high school in order to get the grades I want. Furthermore, I hope that I learn more about what I want to do for my career during this year. Although I know that I want to do something that involves math, I am not sure exactly what field I intend to pursue when I graduate. My biggest concern is not doing well in my classes. However, I know that as long as I work hard and manage my time well this should not be a problem. Altogether, I have enjoyed my first few weeks at Baruch and am looking forward to the rest of the semester.

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