The Arts in New York City | Baruch Fall 2013 Macaulay Seminar 1

We run things. Things don’t run we.

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Olivia Sztanga

Hi everyone! My name is Olivia and I have a sideways avatar because this is my first time using a Mac and I’m also just pretty clueless in general. I’ll fix it eventually, but I think this gives you all a good preview of my ditzy and weird side.

I’m also getting really stressed about how to write this post, so I’ll do what I always do when I’m stressed and make a list:

I’m from Long Island. I lived in Lindenhurst, which is a typical suburban, south shore town. It’s not the nicest or most exciting town ever, but it’s still something like paradise to me because of the people and the proximity to the beach. Anywhere near the water is my favorite place in the world. I’m a mermaid.
My parents emigrated from Poland in the 80s. I went to Polish school on Saturdays from kindergarten to eighth grade, so I guess I’m fluent in that language or something.
I have an older brother named Dan and a younger brother named Raffy. We adopted Raffy seven years ago when he was just three months old. He and I share a birthday!
I’m somewhat adventurous. This summer, my friends and I would pool gas money and drive somewhere random on Long Island. I’m very excited to be living in the city now because there are many more interesting places to see.

And since everyone included their favorites:

I think this is my favorite song but I’m not sure.
My favorite movie is Love Actually.
My favorite TV show is The Newsroom. Everyone should watch it.
I love the color sea green but I realized I own nothing in that color.
I eat sushi at least once a week.
I like to laugh.

Can’t wait to get to know you all!

This is Raffy. Did I fool you?
(Sideways again. WHY?)

One of the happiest moments of my life was just laying on this beach.

Nerdy friends and me at graduation.

:)

Posted on September 8, 2013 by michelleshneyder

Hi guys, my name is Michelle, some of my friends call me Mish or Mishka. I am a born and raised Brooklynite. I am also the daughter of two immigrant parents who have emigrated to the USA 20 years ago from the former USSR. I speak, write, and read Russian and obviously English. I have a little sister who is my minnie me. She’s 12 and annoying and I love her to death.

Anyways, I am planning to major in accounting, probably because I am pretty awesome at math, and I decided to do something “practical”. However, my true love is film photography, a hobby I discovered my freshman year of high school. I have been shooting and developing film for approximately 4 years now:

I also work on photoshop pretty often:

I have been a vegetarian practically my entire life. When my mother was pregnant with me, she was going through a vegetarian phase which would later pass on to me. I also try to eat organic, although it is very hard when eating out. I also have recently started to jog at night to release daily stress and have a better night’s sleep.

I love to travel. Anywhere and everywhere. This spring I went to Germany, Hungary, Chezh, Slovakia, and Poland with my school. It was an incredible experience. There is a certain “je ne sais quois” about being amidst something unfamiliar: a new culture, a new language, a new peoples. This summer, I took a road trip to Montreal with a few friends, which turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. (We partied and learned some french and met some awesome people) Montreal!

Poland when it was negative a billion degrees.

Heart of Montreal

Overall, my friends and family define me. They are the ones I rely on for guidance and support. I am so incredibly thankful that all my closest friends did not leave for college. Even though we are entering a new stage in our lives, we get to do together, with the same beautiful city to our disposal.

Jake Greenberg’s first 18

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Jake George Greenberg

Dear class,

My name is Jake and I like sports, working-out, working, and partying with my squad. School is also fun, but only for the classes that challenge me/are interesting. In order to interest me I need to be able to apply the class to real world applications. In my opinion this class fits into that category. My other favorite classes are Philosophy and English because of their relevance to my future. I hope to graduate with Sports Marketing as my major, something that relies on being able to articulate ideas fluidly and efficiently (english) and understand people with an open mind (philosophy/moral reasoning).

Background: I grew up in Merrick, on Long Island. At 8 years old my parents split up and I had to stay with my mom. After a few years I moved with her to Cold Spring Harbor on the North Shore, where i spent 7th, 8th, and 9th grade playing basketball, football, and lacrosse. Sophmore year I finally moved back in with my dad in Bellmore (back on the south shore). During football I fractured my lower vertebra and Junior year I received surgery to correct it. Now I just play sports for fun and found that the new friends I made off the fields/courts are even more interesting than those jocks I was so used to hanging out with. Going into college I was skeptical, but I honest have made some of the best friendships someone could ask for, and so quick. The “crew” from the dorms and those kids I’ve befriended in class have honestly become like a big family. It feels strange to think how it was before I met them because how much they already mean to me. I truly believe most, if not all, of these people will become life-long friends because they show the qualities of not just great friends, but great people. For all of my friends reading this, however cheesy this all sounds, I really do mean what I say. You guys/girls are the best thing to happen to my life and I look forward to helping each other to reach our individual goals. Thank you for making college my new home.

Jake Greenberg

Goedendag

Posted on September 8, 2013 by mheyboer

Hi my name is Mariel Heyboer and the one word to describe me would probably be restless. Anyone who knows me knows I can’t stay in one place for very long because there are always new places I want to go. Ironically, I come from a very, very small town in upstate New York. My town is called New Hartford and it is probably the polar opposite to living in the middle of Manhattan. To put it in perspective my house growing up was in the middle of the woods and it was a 40-minute drive to get to McDonalds. But when I think of the word ‘home’ I don’t think of that house, or even of America in general. My father is a Dutch immigrant and when I was younger I spent most of my summers in the Netherlands. My family comes from the village of Rietmolen; a small grouping of houses and bars in the Eastern Netherlands which is home to a population of 952. So you could say I’m the product of two very small town cultures.

Even though I’ve lived most of my life in places that don’t even show up on a map I’ve always had a passion for traveling and exploring new places. Before coming to Baruch I spent the last 11 months living in the south of France and traveling around southern Europe.

At Baruch I’m majoring in Economics and I would love to find an internship on Wall Street at some point. My eventual plan is to move to Washington D.C. and start a career in legislative work and public policy. I’ve always loved to participate in our democracy and spent last summer interning for my Congressman.

Coming to the city was a big change for me but it was definitely the right choice. I already feel comfortable living here and taking the subways everyday, even if I still get lost sometimes. But everyone I’ve met so far has helped welcome me to the city and they make sure I don’t wander off alone into Brooklyn. Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll stop being known as the small town girl and just be another New Yorker.

My Introduction

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Khrystyna Melnyk

Hi everyone! My name is Khrystyna and I am originally from Ternopil, Ukraine, lived in Brooklyn for 15 years, and have recently moved to Staten Island.

I have a younger brother (16 years old) and a younger sister (4 years). Secretly, I like my sister more. I also have about 12 first cousins and 20-30 second cousins (I lose track). Most of my family lives back in Ukraine. I visit them during summer breaks and hopefully, this year I will visit in time for Christmas.

When I was younger, I played soccer, volleyball, and danced different styles of dance. I did Ukrainian folk dancing up to my senior year in high school. Although it looks fun, it took a lot of hard work and rehearsal to get even 2 minutes of performance. I wish I had more time to start dancing again because it was a lot of fun and I met a lot of interesting people.

This is how one of our performances would look like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvD21OntHgI

I also love to cook and bake so I am always looking for new recipes to try so cooking websites are my second home.

I am looking forward to getting to know everyone and exploring the arts of New York City.

A brief introduction to who Ariella is

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Ariella Trotsenko

Hi all! My name is Ariella Trotsenko and I am one of your fellow classmates here at Macaulay Baruch! This past June, I graduated Leon M. Goldstein High School in Manhattan Beach and came in with the intended major of Marketing. In high school, I was involved in a lot of different activities including Student Government, Swim Team, People to People International, and more. I love being a part of a team and getting my schedule filled with many things to keep me busy.

Graduating!

Ever since I was 8 years old, I have been swimming on numerous swim teams. When I entered high school, I joined my high school swim team, in which I eventually became captain. When I turned 15 years old, I obtained my CPR/Lifeguarding certificate and have been working as a lifeguard every summer since (trust me, being a lifeguard is not as glamorous as it seems on Bay-watch).

My teammates and I posing next to our 1st place trophy from the 2012 PMSSL Championships

This past April, I went on a school trip to Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic for 10 days. I flew to Europe before with my family before, but, going on so many different tours and sightseeing excursions during this trip really opened my eyes to a love of traveling. My favorite country from the trip but Prague, but, we unfortunately had to stay in a hostel because our hotel was not able to accommodate us (yes, the word hostel does sound as bad as it was). As much fun as I had on that trip, I have NEVER been so cold in so many parts of my body than on that trip! I think its safe to say you can save yourself the trouble of frostbite and visit Eastern Europe in the spring.

Dresden, Germany

Another hobby of mine is skiing! My best friend planned what is now our annual ski trip and said I’d be able to learn quickly with the instructors and learn on the Bunny Slopes. At the end of that day, I was able to go on Black Diamond (not one of my finest moments). But I have been advancing to more difficult slopes, as well as getting better, ever since. Now, we rent a cabin every winter at least 2 times a season so that we can spend time together and do what we love.

Hunter Mountain

Some other random facts about me include:

*I am, what I like to consider, a grilled cheese connoisseur
*I have an unhealthy obsession with Gossip Girl and 90210
*I am fluent in English, Russian, and Spanglish

I hope that covers it all!

I look forward to getting to know you all better and hope we have a great 4 years together.

Hey, my names Austin Fischer and..

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Austin Fischer

My name is Austin Fischer and I’m a freshman at Baruch trying to decide what to major in. I was born in Manhattan, but have spent almost my entire life in Brooklyn. I attended Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene. I founded the Ultimate Frisbee club and participated in the table tennis club. Our school consisted of about 5,500 people with a 60% Asian, 22% white, 10% Hispanic and 8% black breakdown, so naturally I was trained by the best.

A few of my friends and I graduating at Barclays center:

At my school we were put into majors for our junior and senior years and I chose the biological science major. This meant I couldn’t take classes outside my major, but was able to take organic chemistry, anatomy, genetics and other interesting classes in high school. Even though I studied a lot of science in high school, my interests always varied. I always wanted to study psychology and business, but never had the opportunity.

Towards the end of high school, I spent a lot of time in Harlem volunteering at a cancer research lab. An amazing professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine helped me create a project that I have been working on for the last year and a half. The lab is not too far from my dorm on the Upper East Side and I hope to continue researching if it isn’t impossible to fit into my schedule.

Here’s a picture of the general setup under the hood and my hand!

And the view from my dorm window!

Over the last year I started rock climbing at a local gym called Brooklyn Boulders. I fell in love with the sport and picked up my own pair of climbing shoes and gained my certification in belaying. Although a friend ‘accidentally’ took my shoes to his college in North Carolina, they are in the mail on the way back and I look forward to bouldering in Central Park soon! This is a picture of me climbing in my friend’s converse on the way back from the lab in Harlem.

The newest and most profound change in my life (besides college) over the last couple years has been the addition of two little brothers to my family. Around 4 years ago my dad got remarried and I now have two little half brothers. It has been a really interesting experience to see how much they develop in such short amounts of time. Below is a picture of Duncan when he was about 17 months old.

I look forward to meeting and learning more about all of you and having a great first year at Baruch!

Hey Everyone, I’m Marc.

Posted on September 8, 2013 by marcsaadia

My name is Marc Saadia and i was born in Deal, New Jersey. I now reside in Brooklyn, New York, but i spent the first 12 years of my life living in New Jersey. Being that i lived right next to the ocean for so long, i instantly picked up surfing. It is currently my favorite hobby.There is nothing like it. When i am in the water everything feels peaceful and tranquil, and there are no worries in my mind. I do believe surfing is a beautiful form of art.

This past year I traveled to Hawaii and California to surf some of the best spots in the world. I visited Hawaii in the winter, which happened to be during the Pro Bowl, and coincidentally the entire Pro Bowl roster was staying in my hotel. But ill save that story for another time. Anyway, Hawaii was such an amazing experience, here are some photos from the trip.

(Shark cage diving)

(Amazing sunset)

This past summer in California, I attended the U.S. Open of Surfing. I met my idol and the best surfer of all time, Kelly Slater.

Enough with surfing. I also enjoy playing any type of sport. Some of my favorites are Football, Basketball, Tennis, Hockey, And Volleyball. As i am writing this post, I am preparing for the opening game of my favorite football team, the New York Giants. Here is a picture of quarterback Eli Manning, me, and some of my family members.

I also enjoy reading. I find it very relaxing.

Math is my favorite subject. My major is undecided but i plan of focusing on something business related.

I am looking forward to building many great relationships with all of you!

Introduction – Michael Mamiye

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Michael Mamiye

Hi, my name is Michael Mamiye and you can call me Michael, Mike… or whatever else you like. I was born in New York City 17 years ago (I have a late birthday) and have been living here in Brooklyn ever since. I have four siblings; one brother and three sisters, two of which are married. I also have one nephew named Bobby, who just turned one a few weeks ago! I enjoy playing tennis, skiing and spending time with my family. Another interest of mine is iOS app development as well as technology as a whole.

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tennis-balls

I spent this past summer interning for a Manhattan based real estate firm called Cohen Equities. From canvassing the Lower East Side and Williamsburg for potential properties, to analyzing data using Excel, I was given a rare opportunity to see many sides of a vast industry. I can honestly say that the experience I got from that internship was one of the most incredible opportunities I’ve had in my life. The amount that I was able to learn in just a six-month period of time was truly remarkable. A large part of this was due to the true generosity of my boss. He really took the time out of his busy schedule to ensure that I was getting the exposure and experience that was required, and with out him the internship just wouldn’t have been the same.

So that’s my introduction and I can’t wait to get to know all of you at Macaulay much better over the next four years!

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Posted on September 8, 2013 by hannayoo

Hey, guys! My name is Hanna Yoo. I was born in Flushing, raised in Bayside, and I currently reside in Syosset (Long Island for those of you who are curious). I never liked my move to the suburbs so I … Continue reading →