I’m Els de Graauw, professor for Seminar 2.  I’m a faculty member in the Baruch political science department, where I teach courses on American government and immigration. In addition to teaching, I conduct research on the local politics of immigrant integration, and currently I have under way a comparative study of city immigrant affairs offices across the United States.

Els in Lucerne, Switzerland

I am an immigrant myself.  I was born and raised in the Netherlands, where I also completed my college (with a major in American Studies).  I then earned a Ph.D. degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley, worked as a researcher at Harvard University and Cornell University, and came to Baruch in 2009.  I’ve been enjoying teaching at Baruch in large part because of the incredibly diverse student body here.  You might not think much of it, but it’s very unusual to teach (or be part of) a class like ours, where the majority of students are first- and second-generation immigrants.

While I love big city life, I also like the wild outdoors to camp, hike, and ski.  This year, I also hope to refine my photography skills, finish a couple of sewing projects, and learn a few new baking recipes.  I also look forward to my spring break escape to Los Angeles and hope to get a pet (wiener dog!) this year.

If you have questions about any aspect of the course, I invite you to come to my office hours (every M &W 3-4pm) or send me an email at Els.deGraauw@baruch.cuny.edu.

Zara in Israel, while studying abroad in 2012

I’m Zara Hoffman, currently a freshman with an undeclared major.  I was just introduced to the Ad-Hoc major that Baruch has to offer and immediately fell in love with it.  Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to create their own major?  I love museums and art causing me to dream of becoming a curator since I’ve been a little girl.  My newest aspiration is to open up a museum or owning an art gallery featuring work by young, cancer patients.  I am from Long Island and currently live in the East Village, just a few blocks away from Baruch.  During my free time I enjoy running, yoga, all types of arts and crafts as well as playing tennis.  I chose to use my Macaulay Eportolio as a personal blog called Wear-Aboutz and have become hooked on blogging!  I hope to learn more about immigration this semester throughout this course, specifically how our country views immigrants and how immigrants integrate into our country’s culture.

Jon in Long Island

My name is Jonathan Jung Min Park.  Coming from a diverse background, I can say that I love opening up to new cultures.  I am Korean, was born in Thailand, grew up in Taiwan, lived in Korea for a few months, lived in Kansas for a year, then moved to Long Island in 2007.  The reason being that my parents were missionaries all across the world and I just happened to tag along.  This gave me the ability to speak Korean, Mandarin, and English although English is my best language by far.

As for my hobbies, I am passionate for soccer and Manchester United is my favorite team.  Besides playing video games, playing sports, and watching TV, my hobbies include playing the drums, beatboxing.  I’m a facebook addict, and I LOVE to eat. Thai, Indian, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Brazilian.  The list can go on forever.

Nonetheless, I’m enjoying my experience here in Baruch as a Macaulay student.  I began volunteering at a homeless shelter, I am the President of the Soccer Club, and also starting a project called Baruch TV.  My experience here has already changed who I am and I’m looking forward to meeting new people and trying new things.

Jennafer at St. Francis Prep

My name is Jennafer Mukofsky.  I was born in Miami, but I mainly grew up in Howard Beach, Queens.  What interests me most is watching and playing tennis.  I’ve been playing since I was six and I’ve competed in many and have won a few tournaments.  My dream is to travel the world and see all four of the Grand Slams live.  I plan to major in finance, and hope to start as a stock trader and work my way up to portfolio manager/analyst and possibly even higher.

I’m Yamel Favela.  I could be like everyone else, and list everything I love in this biography, but what does that actually say about me?  Next to nothing.  I’ll try to tell you what I think of myself.  That may tell you far more.  I appear to have an ego.  Just sometimes, but I don’t.  It’s just a front.  In my mind, I am no better than anyone else.  In many ways, I think I am far worse.  I’m just afraid to admit it.  Does that make me weak?

Yamel at Times Square, May 2013

I’m indecisive, when it comes to big and small things.  I don’t know at this point what  I want to do.  But as of right now, I am a Spanish major at Macaulay Honors College.

I was born in Juarez, Mexico, but have lived most of my life in Denver, Colorado.  So in other words, I’m new to the city and I love it.  It can be somewhat irrational at times, but I try to be rational.  I hate to be wrong.  It leads me to argue when I shouldn’t.  Maybe I hate it because I feel like being right is the only thing I have.  The one thing I am absolutely certain about when it comes to myself is that I am smart.  When that is challenged, I defend it.  You would too, I think.

Alessandra in a sushi restaurant on her 19th birthday

I’m Alessandra Rao.  I’m a Marketing major and I’m also part of the Macaulay Honors Program. I just moved into the 97th Baruch Residence Hall, and it is a huge difference from where I came from–Staten Island.  Now that my daily round trip commute is an hour instead of four, I finally have more time to do the things I love to do, like play guitar, write songs, and deisgn graphics on illustrator for clients. I’ve designed for Hill Krisnan (city council member candidate), Dorian Baroque Orchestra, several LLCs, LaGuardia Art High School, and more.  I’ve also made many advertisements, which you can see on my website.  I currently work in the Journalism department as the Harman literary program assistant. Other random things I love: French bulldogs, English Breakfast tea, yoga, and sushi.  I am proud to identify myself as an Italian; I am the daughter of Sicilian immigrants.

My graphic design website:
http://alessandrarao.wix.com/portfolio#!art/c1w1e

My Macaulay ePortfolio: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/alessandrarao/

Sarah at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, QC in Oct. 2012.

My name is Sarah Park.  I was born in Queens, but I grew up in a small suburban town by the Long Island Sound.  Although I’ve lived in New York all my life, I’ve been all around the world.  I technically entered the Macaulay Honors Program as a freshman two years ago, but I took a break and traveled some more for a year and worked full-time in retail for another.  I got tired of the nomadic lifestyle (and by that I mean being broke all the time lost its charm) and now that I’m living in Bushwick and I’m back at Baruch, I hope to major in English.  My favorite writers are Vladimir Nabokov, Haruki Murakami, Margaret Atwood, and Neil Gaiman.  When I’m not reading, I like to watch weird films, practice my violin, and play Mario Kart Wii.  I probably won’t make a lot of money with an English degree either, but I’m pretty content with that.

Russo’s on the Bay, May 2012

My name is Thomas Seubert.  I am 18 years old and live with my parents and sister in Middle Village, Queens.  I currently am a student at Baruch College, studying economics and journalism. I work part time at an old-fashioned ice cream shop in Forest Hills, called Eddie’s Sweet Shop.  In college, I plan on becoming a better writer, and I aim to study abroad (hopefully in England).  In addition, I would really like to revisit learning the piano.  Outside my goals for the next few years, my interests include sports, classic American literature, and 80s music.  On weekends, I enjoy playing football and golf, as well as, watching New York sports teams on television.

Daniel at home, summer 2012

Hello! I’m Daniel Golub.  I’m passionate about hard rock and heavy metal – Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, etc.  I’m called The Phenom because I’ve been a fan of WWE wrestler The Undertaker for years.  At times, I can be very quiet and mysterious, and at other times, I’m very loquacious and comic.  I’m very suspicious of just how well college can educate me, but I’m willing to put forth my best efforts to ensure that I become self-educated.

Ben enjoys leaning against walls

Benjamin Miller, a third-generation American (of Ashkenazi Jewish descent) and a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in English/Composition at the CUNY Graduate Center, is delighted to be joining this site as an Instructional Technology Fellow. Ben has taught academic writing at Hunter College and at Columbia University, where he also taught creative writing while earning an MFA in poetry; last year, he worked in Writing Across the Curriculum at Lehman College. His first book of poems, Without Compass, is forthcoming from Four Way Books, and his first academic article – entitled “A Link to the Writing Process: Metaphor, Writer’s Block, and The Legend of Zelda” – will be included in the collection Rhetoric / Composition / Play, forthcoming from Palgrave Macmillan.

Ben’s ongoing interest in data visualization, as evidenced in his dissertation work on mapping the methods of Composition/Rhetoric, carries over into The Peopling of New York City, where he hopes to use interactive maps and charts to explore the relationships among people, space, time, and large data sets.

Ben occasionally enjoys speaking of himself in the third person, albeit mostly in the context of author bios.